LEAPS-MPS: Exploring Thiophosphates as Balanced Middle-infrared Nonlinear Optical Materials

LEAPS-MPS：探索硫代磷酸盐作为平衡中红外非线性光学材料

• 批准号: 2316811
• 负责人: Jian Wang
• 金额: $ 23.83万
• 依托单位: Wichita State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-09-01 至 2025-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2316811&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: LEAPS; MPS; Exploring; Thiophosphates; Balanced

Non-Technical SummaryWhen you wait to check out in a supermarket, do you ever wonder how the staff can scan everything so fast? 'Ding', one done. 'Ding', another done! You need barcodes printed on items and an infrared laser scanner! This is not the only example of infrared lasers used in our daily life! In addition to our daily life, infrared lasers have various important applications such as instrumental spectroscopy, optical sensing, optical imaging, and long-distance communications. To generate infrared lasers, one crucial and applicable way is via the nonlinear harmonic generation process, where two or more photons are merged together. The nonlinear harmonic generation process is incorporated into solid-state laser systems, which are compact, highly efficient, and reliable. The heart of the nonlinear harmonic generation process is the infrared nonlinear optical (IR NLO) material. With support through an MPS-LEAPS award, which is in part funded by the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), the principal investigator from Wichita State University employs the design, synthesis, discovery, optimization, and crystal growth of emerging inorganic compounds for IR NLO applications. Thus newly discovered materials are expected to be useful to generate IR lasers. The educational efforts of the award are to incorporate research into inorganic chemistry teaching and outreach activities via the development of a crystal museum, diverse hiring, development of a new class, and outreach activities to elementary schools. The PI builds a diverse team by hiring women researchers, African-American students, first generation college students, and other groups underrepresented in scientific fields.Technical SummaryMiddle Infrared nonlinear optical materials (MIR NLO) have sparked growing interest due to their capability to extend infrared laser frequencies via the second harmonic generation process. This research project, supported by an MPS-LEAPS award, emphasizes employing various synthetic methods, achieving balanced NLO properties via different strategies, understanding electronic structures and bonding characteristics via TB-LMTO-ASA simulations, and growing large crystals. The proposed research advances the understanding of the structure-property relationships of inorganic compounds such as thiophosphates and uncovers promising MIR NLO materials. Thiophosphates are a class of materials combining sulfur and phosphorus. The PI and his research group tackle the exploration of thiophosphates as MIR NLO materials, which are aimed to replace current MIR NLO materials. Current MIR NLO materials have low laser damage thresholds and modest conversion efficiencies. The developed new materials are utilized to produce new frequencies of mid-IR lasers, which enables a wide range of spectroscopic studies in chemistry, biology, and physics, etc. The employed methodology of understanding crystal growth processes via in-situ powder X-ray coupled with differential scanning calorimetry tests shortens the “trial and error” process of crystal growth of new phases. Understanding how the electronic structure influences optical properties, and how geometry, topology, and defects affect electronic structure, helps build promising functional materials such as quantum materials, thermoelectric materials, etc. The long-term educational goal for the PI and his research group is to incorporate research into inorganic chemistry teaching, increase the diversity and inclusion of the PI’s research team, increase public engagement of chemistry, train next generation chemists, and support students from minority groups underrepresented in STEM.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.

当您等待在一家超市退房时，非技术总结时，您是否想知道员工如何能这么快扫描一切？ “丁”，一个完成。 “丁”，另一个完成！您需要打印在物品上的条形码和受感染的激光扫描仪！这不是我们日常生活中使用的感染激光器的唯一例子！除我们的日常生活外，受感染的激光器还具有各种重要的应用，例如仪器光谱，光学传感，光学成像和长距离通信。为了产生红外激光器，一种至关重要且适用的方式是通过非线性谐波生成过程，在该过程中将两张或更多照片合并在一起。非线性谐波生成过程被纳入固态激光系统，这些激光系统紧凑，高效且可靠。非线性谐波生成过程的心脏是红外非线性光学（IR NLO）材料。通过通过MPS-Leaps奖的支持，该奖项由既定计划（EPSCOR）的既定计划（EPSCOR）资助，Wichita State University员工的首席研究人员的设计，综合，发现，优化和晶体增长了IR NLO应用程序的无机化合物。预计新发现的材料对生成红外激光很有用。该奖项的教育工作是通过开发水晶博物馆，招聘，开发新班级以及向小学的外展活动来纳入无机化学教学和外展活动的研究。 PI通过雇用女性研究人员，非洲裔美国学生，第一代大学生和其他在科学领域中代表性不足的团体建立了一支潜水团队。技术摘要红外线非线性光学材料（MIR NLO），由于其能力通过第二次核心生成而引发了增强的兴趣，从而引发了增强的兴趣。该研究项目得到了MPS-Leaps奖的支持，强调采用各种综合方法，通过不同的策略实现平衡的NLO特性，通过TB-LMTO-ASA模拟了解电子结构和键合特性，并不断增长。拟议的研究促进了对硫代磷酸盐等无机化合物的结构特质关系的理解，并发现了有希望的mir nlo材料。硫代磷酸盐是将硫和磷的一类材料。 PI及其研究小组将硫代磷酸盐作为miR NLO材料的探索，旨在取代当前的MiR NLO材料。当前的miR NLO材料具有低激光损伤阈值和适度的转换效率。 The developed new materials are utilized to produce new frequencies of mid-IR lasers, which enables a wide range of Spectroscopic studies in chemistry, biology, and physics, etc. The employed methodology of understanding crystal growth processes via in-situ powder X-ray coupled with differential scanning calorimetry tests shortens the “trial and error” process of crystal growth of new phases. Understanding how the electronic structure influences optical properties, and how geometry, topology, and defects affect electronic structure, helps build promising functional materials such as quantum materials, thermoelectric materials, etc. The long-term educational goal for the PI and his research group is to incorporate research into inorganic chemistry teaching, increase the diversity and inclusion of the PI’s research team, increase public engagement of chemistry, train next generation chemists, and support students from minority groups该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响评论标准通过评估而被认为值得支持的。