Full-Spectrum X-ray Excited Optical Luminescence System with Angle-Resolved and in situ Capabilities

我们建议将西部大学化学系的实验室x射线激发光学发光（XEOL）系统升级为最先进的基础设施，具有从紫外线（UV）到近红外（NIR）的全波长光谱采集，具有角度分辨和原位/操作能力。XEOL指的是跟踪发光材料如何将其吸收的x射线转化为光子。升级将在现有的超高真空（UHV）室上进行，该室配备有双阳极x射线管（目前已停用），样品传输系统，具有加热和冷却功能的4轴360°可旋转样品机械手，用于气体环境控制的泄漏值和光学光谱仪。我们将获得资金更换已有30年历史的x射线管，升级现有的光谱仪，使其检测能力扩展到近红外区域，并安装另一台带光纤的CCD光谱仪，使x射线源两侧相距约90度同时检测XEOL。该系统将为Sham博士和Liu博士的团队合成的发光样品提供必要的常规表征能力，特别是解决对nir发射生物材料和具有各向异性发光特性的高取向半导体薄膜的发光机制的日益增长的需求。该系统还将为西部大学的SWC（东西部同步辐射研究中心）和CAMBR（先进材料和生物材料研究中心）的研究人员提供令人兴奋的机会，以研究具有角度分辨和原位/操作能力的x射线诱导光学发光。它还将补充我们在加拿大光源开发的XEOL技术的进步，该技术使用可调谐x射线作为激发源。该系统还将允许我们的学生在前往同步加速器之前预先筛选大量样品，以便更有效地利用宝贵的同步加速器时间。

We propose to upgrade our laboratory X-ray Excited Optical Luminescence (XEOL) system in the department of Chemistry at Western University into a state-of-the-art infrastructure featuring full-wavelength spectral acquisition from ultraviolet (UV) to near-infrared (NIR), with angle-resolved and in situ/operando capabilities. XEOL refers to tracking how light emitting materials converts the X-ray it absorbs into optical photons. The upgrade will be performed upon an existing, operational ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chamber equipped with a twin-anode X-ray tube (currently out of service), a sample transfer system, a 4-axis 360o rotatable sample manipulator with heating and cooling function, leak values for gas environment control, and an optical spectrometer. We will acquire funds to replace the 30-years-old X-ray tube, to upgrade the existing spectrometer to extend its detection capability into the NIR region, and to implement another CCD spectrometer with optical fiber to allow XEOL detected simultaneously at both side of the X-ray source at approximately 90o apart. This system will provide the necessary routine characterization capability on light-emitting samples synthesized at Dr Sham's and Dr Liu's groups, particularly addressing the increasing need for understanding the luminescent mechanism of NIR-emitting biomaterials and highly-oriented semiconducting thin films with anisotropic luminescence properties. The system will also provide exciting opportunities for researchers at Western's SWC (Soochow-Western Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research) and CAMBR (Centre for Advanced Materials and Biomaterials Research) to investigate X-ray induced optical luminescence with angle resolved and in situ/operando capabilities. It will also complement the advancement of the XEOL techniques we have been developing at the Canadian Light Source where a tunable X-ray is used as the excitation source. This system will also allow our students to pre-screen a large number of samples prior to traveling to the synchrotron, so that the precious synchrotron time can be used more effectively. The applicants' team includes researchers who have active research programs on optical properties of nanomaterials in optoelectronics and biomedical research, such as morphology and phase dependent luminescent from semiconductor metal oxides, lead halide perovskite nanocrystals, doped calcium phosphate, and more recently, biocompatible nanomaterials with NIR persistent luminescence.