MRI: Acquisition of an Amplified Ultrashort-Pulse Laser System for Ultrafast and Spectroscopic Studies of Condensed Matter Systems

这项来自主要研究仪器计划的奖项将使哈维穆德学院获得激光系统，以支持对金属中电子的超快动力学以及半导体和金属的非线性光学行为的研究。该系统将产生重复频率为一千赫兹的飞秒激光束。这将极大地促进泵浦-探测测量来监测金属中光激发电子的非平衡分布。这些测量将提供有关金属中能量和动量散射率的信息，并允许与金属中电子动力学理论进行定量比较。通过连续产生和频率偏移，激光系统将允许薄半导体薄膜的非线性光学响应的光谱表征，提供关于中心对称半导体中二次谐波产生的体源和表面源的强度的有价值的信息。本科生将接受培训，在这个国家的最先进的飞秒激光设施的操作。它也将作为一个资源提供给克莱蒙财团的成员这个奖项从主要的研究仪器计划将允许哈维穆德学院获得激光系统，以支持对金属中的电子的超快动力学和非线性光学行为的研究半导体和金属。金属内部移动的电子的高密度导致电子在极快的时间尺度上相互作用。详细了解这些相互作用对于理解金属如何催化化学反应以及原子如何吸附在金属表面非常重要。新的激光系统将允许Harvey Mudd学院的研究人员对持续时间小于50飞秒（1 fs = 10-15 s）的强激光脉冲引起的金属电子系统的变化进行时间分辨测量。这些测量将提供有关金属中能量和动量散射率的信息，并允许与金属中电子动力学理论进行定量比较。激光系统可以提供有关半导体晶体结构和表面质量的有用信息。对谐波响应的光谱研究将提供有关表面和体相现象的相对重要性的有用信息，并将允许与材料的非线性响应的计算进行详细的比较。本科研究生将接受这一最先进的飞秒激光设备的操作培训。它也将作为一种资源提供给克莱蒙联合会的成员。

This award from the Major Research Instrumentation Program will allow Harvey Mudd College to acquire laser system to support research on the ultrafast dynamics of electrons in metals and on the nonlinear optical behavior of ultrathin semiconductors and metals. The system will produce a femtosecond laser beam at a repetition rate of one kilohertz. This will greatly facilitate pump-probe measurements to monitor the non-equilibrium distribution of photoexcited electrons in metals. These measurements will provide information on both the energy- and momentum-scattering rates in metals and permit quantitative comparison to theories of electron dynamics in metals. Through continuum generation and frequency shifting, the laser system will allow spectral characterization of the nonlinear optical response of thin semiconductor films, providing valuable information on the strength of both bulk and surface sources of second-harmonic generation in centrosymmetric semiconductors. Undergraduate students will be trained in the operation of this state-of-the-art femtosecond laser facility. It will also be available as a resource to the members of the Claremont ConsortiumThis award from the Major Research Instrumentation Program will allow Harvey Mudd College to acquire laser system to support research on the ultrafast dynamics of electrons in metals and on the nonlinear optical behavior of ultrathin semiconductors and metals. The high density of mobile electrons inside a metal causes electrons to interact on extremely fast time scales. A detailed understanding of these interactions is important for understanding how metals catalyze chemical reactions and how atoms adsorb on metal surfaces. The new laser system will permit researchers at Harvey Mudd College to perform time-resolved measurements of the changes to the electronic system in a metal caused by an intense pulse of laser light lasting less than fifty femtoseconds (1 fs = 10-15 s). These measurements will provide information on both the energy- and momentum-scattering rates in metals and permit quantitative comparison to theories of electron dynamics in metals. The laser system can provide useful information on both the structures of the semiconductor crystal and on the quality of surfaces. Spectroscopic study of the harmonic response will provide useful information on the relative importance of surface and bulk phenomena and will permit detailed comparisons to calculations of the nonlinear response of materials.Undergraduate research students will be trained in the operation of this state-of-the-art femtosecond laser facility. It will also be available as a resource to the members of the Claremont Consortium.