Upgrade of the Raman Spectroscopy System at the High-Pressure Lab of Arizona State University

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This award will fund the upgrade of the Raman spectroscopy system at the high-pressure lab of Arizona State University (ASU). The upgrade includes a CCD detector, a spectrograph, and a 3D sample positioning system. The new components will not only enhance essential function of the system, vibrational spectroscopy, but also add a new capability: 2D and 3D micro phase mapping of the samples synthesized at high pressures and high temperatures. The upgrade will therefore open new research projects for undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers at ASU, promoting the progress of science. In particular, the enhanced capability of the system will allow us to offer new research projects to undergraduate students, such as mantle experimental petrology, volatiles storage in mantle minerals, and software-hardware interfacing in scientific instrument. PI Shim has offered undergraduate research program since 2003. In the program, the Raman system has played a critical role and produced scientific articles first authored by undergraduate students. The majority of the undergraduate students in the research program are from minoritized groups and the upgrade will allow the PI to continue the effort, supporting education and diversity. The goal of the project is to upgrade the Raman system at the high-pressure lab at Arizona State University for enabling diverse types of measurements for mineral physics research. Micro-beam capability combined with transparency of diamond over a wide range of electromagnetic wave makes the Raman technique suitable for studying the extremely small sample inside diamond-anvil cell under high pressure. The 2D scanning capability of the micro-Raman technique can provide phase mapping for the samples synthesized at high pressures in multi-anvil press. PI Shim has used Raman spectroscopy extensively and produced numerous scientific results over the last 24 years, such as high-pressure behaviors of lattice and OH vibrational modes in mantle silicates, modeling vibrational density of state, stability of volatile-bearing minerals, structure of amorphous phases at high pressures, high-temperature behavior of minerals, and magnetic scattering. However, the key components of the existing system, CCD detector and spectrograph, are outdated and the quality of the data suffers from their ages (18 years). The upgrade will not only improve the quality of data from the Raman system but also add a new capability to the system: accurate 2D or 3D phase mapping. The new capability will be important for supporting expanding research areas of the high-pressure group at ASU, such as hydrogen storage in the Earth’s interior, lower-mantle petrology, and synthesis of high-density target materials for laser driven shock experiments.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.