MRI: Acquisition of an Ultrafast Transient Absorption Spectrometer

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This award is supported by the Major Research Instrumentation and the Chemistry Research Instrumentation Programs. Professor Kenneth Hanson from Florida State University and colleague Lei Zhu have acquired an ultrafast transient absorption laser spectrometer. Transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy is a powerful technique for monitoring a sample's change in energy absorbance (i. e., color) with respect to time after excitation by a flash of light from a laser. TA is employed to study photochemistry and photophysical processes such as the conversion of sunlight into energy. Such processes can be very fast, on a time scale of a femtosecond which is 14 orders of magnitude faster than 1 second. The ultrafast laser system is used to characterize new materials which have desirable properties such as better solar cells or light emitting diodes. The spectrometer is used to train students in ultrafast technology and applications at Florida State University and other institutions including the neighboring HBCU Florida A&M University as well as Central Florida University, New College of Florida, Virginia Military Institute and the University of South Carolina. The award will enhance research and education broadly. One research area being investigated is photocurrent generation in materials with self-assembled organic-inorganic interfaces. Fluorescent molecules that can emit simultaneously at different wavelengths for applications including bio-imaging are also currently investigated. The properties of photomagnets, a fundamentally interesting and technologically promising group of light responsive materials, are being evaluated. Halide perovskite are intensively studied for their remarkable performance in optoelectronic devices such as solar cells. Exciton self-trapping (or excited state structural reorganization) processes in low dimensional organic metal halide hybrids with unique photophysical properties are also studied in a collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.