The Ultrafast electron Imaging Lab of Waterloo

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This NSERC Discovery program builds on five years of fundamental research and technological developments supported by NSERC-DG, NSERC-CRD, NSERC-I2I, OCE-VIP2 and other funding programs. The long-term goal of my research program lies in the investigation of dynamical phenomena and structure-function correlations relevant to the fields of condensed matter physics, solution chemistry, and molecular biology. To achieve this goal, my team implements homebuilt femtosecond (fs) spectroscopic and electron imaging methods that are capable of providing us with the prerequisite temporal and spatial resolutions to observe atoms in motion; i.e. sub-picosecond temporal and ångstrom spatial resolutions. I lead the Ultrafast electron Imaging Lab (UeIL); I highly motivated and interdisciplinary team with research topics ranging from the study of carrier dynamics, electron-phonon and phonon-phonon interactions, excitons, and laser-induced phase transformations in crystalline low dimensional materials to excited state dynamics and electron transfer reactions between molecular species in the liquid phase. My group also utilizes molecular dynamics simulations and electronic structure calculations to assist our experimental observations. UeIL hosts unique homebuilt infrastructure for the dynamic characterization of molecular structure and materials properties. The objectives of this Discovery proposal are a logical continuation of my research with a focus on the application of time-resolved techniques to the investigation of nanomaterials, thin films and molecular species; special attention will be paid to model two-dimensional van der Waals-stacked materials exhibiting exotic behaviours such as charge density wave, topological insulation, ferromagnetism and Weyl semi-metallicity. In addition to the aforementioned time-resolved experiments, a new and quickly growing research direction at UeIL involves the study of nanoparticles and biospecimens by in-liquid transmission electron microscopy (in-liquid TEM) and cryogenic-TEM (cryo-TEM). My team has developed our own specialized side-entry TEM holders and established collaborations with world leading experts in these research areas. Three of our technologies have been patented via Waterloo Commercialization Office and the creation of a spinoff by senior group member is anticipated, ca. 2021. My intention is two-fold; to enable unique impactful research results through technology innovation and to bring to the market state-of-the-art devices that will drive further expansion of both, the startup and my own laboratory. My team is about to enter a very exciting and productive phase in which UeIL's state-of-the-art instrumentation will drive the generation impactful research results, the establishment of a multitude of interdisciplinary collaborations, and open the doors to new discoveries.