Emergency Replacement of Vintage Aries NMR Console

我们是一个量子凝聚态物理的研究小组。我们研究了高度相关的电子材料所表现出的奇异量子现象，如自旋液体、量子临界性和新型超导性。我们的主要实验探针是在低温环境下进行的核磁共振（NMR）波谱。核磁共振是一种用途广泛的探针，在日常生活中有着广泛的应用。例如，用于医学诊断的磁共振成像（MRI）依赖于人体的质子核磁共振，而石油工业则使用核磁共振来测试地表以下2000米的石油特性。自1994年以来，我们已经成功地建立了与三个超导磁体（9 ~ 16特斯拉）和高压电池相结合的场扫描和频率扫描核磁共振技术的专业知识。然而，我们实验室里的一些旧设备已接近使用寿命。特别是，1994年由Tecmag公司制造的Aries核磁共振光谱仪控制台已成为我们研究和学生培训活动的主要障碍。这是因为白羊座只能用1999年的苹果Power Mac G3台式电脑（或更老的型号）获得实验数据。由于苹果G3电脑运行的是过时的苹果OS8操作系统，我的学生很难利用现代计算机软件对他们的数据进行分类、绘图和分析。更糟糕的是，我们的两台老式白羊座游戏机中的一台在几年前发生了故障，无法修复，而剩下的白羊座游戏机最近在数据采集过程中出现了挂起的趋势。尽管这些白羊座主机帮助我的学生进行了世界级的研究，并发表了许多高知名度的论文，包括我们最近在最负盛名的期刊上发表的文章，如《科学》杂志（Fu等人，2015）和《物理评论X》（Kinross等人，2014；也在《物理观点》上进行了在线强调），但它现在正在运行。我们现在必须采取行动，在白羊电脑突然寿终正寝，给我的学生的论文项目造成灾难性的延误之前，用一台没有延迟的现代控制台取代它。在这份提案中，我请求为Tecmag公司紧急购买红石核磁共振光谱仪控制台提供资金。红石是一个强大的核磁共振控制台，利用现代数字电子和Windows计算机的全部计算能力。新的现代核磁共振光谱仪将帮助我的学生在未来的几年里在最高水平上推进更多的前沿研究。

We are a research group of quantum condensed matter physics. We investigate exotic quantum phenomena exhibited by highly correlated electron materials, such as spin liquids, quantum criticality, and novel superconductivity. Our primary experimental probe is Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy conducted in cryogenic environment. NMR is a versatile probe with a variety of applications in daily life. For example, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) used for medical diagnosis relies on proton NMR in human body, whereas the petroleum industry uses NMR to test the properties of oil 2,000 meters below the ground surface. Since 1994, we have successfully built up the expertise in field-swept, as well as frequency-swept NMR techniques in conjunction with three superconducting magnets (9 ~ 16 Tesla) and high-pressure cells. Some of our older equipment in our laboratory, however, is nearing the end of its useful life. In particular, our Aries NMR spectrometer console manufactured by Tecmag corporation in 1994 has become a major impediment to our research and student training activities. This is because the Aries can only acquire experimental data with the vintage 1999 model of Apple Power Mac G3 desktop computers (or older models). Since the Apple G3 computers run on the obsolete Apple OS8 operating system, my students have difficulties in taking advantage of modern computer software to sort, plot, and analyze their data. To make the matter worse, one of our two vintage Aries consoles failed a few years ago and it cannot be repaired, and the remaining Aries has recently developed a tendency to cause hang-ups during data acquisition. Although these Aries consoles helped my students conduct world-class research and publish a number of high profile papers, including our recent articles in the most prestigious journals such as Science magazine (Fu et al., 2015) and Physical Review X (Kinross et al., 2014; also highlighted online in Physics Viewpoint), it is now running on borrowed time. We must act now and replace the Aries with a modern console with no delays before it suddenly reaches the end of life and causes catastrophic delays in the dissertation projects of my students. In this proposal, I request funding for an emergency purchase of a Redstone NMR spectrometer console by Tecmag corporation. The Redstone is a powerful NMR console that takes advantage of the modern digital electronics and the full computing power of Windows computers. The new modern NMR spectrometer will help my students advance more cutting edge research at the highest level for years to come.