CAREER: Ultrafast Vibrational Dynamics Probed by Femtosecond Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案(公共法律111-5)资助的。在这个由实验物理化学计划支持的项目中，罗切斯特大学的David McCamant教授将开发飞秒受激拉曼光谱(FSRs)来研究光化学和光生物学中的超快过程。FSR是一种独特的光谱方法，可以在保持高光谱分辨率的同时，以飞秒时间分辨率在非常宽的光谱窗口内探测振动模式。第一个应用将是探索核酸的激发态结构动力学，特别是模型核苷酸和DNA寡聚体在光激发后的结构演变。这项工作将提供对紫外线对DNA影响的新理解，包括光损伤和皮肤损伤的产生。第二个项目将开发二维FSR来探测振动非谐性，特别是在纯和混合溶剂环境中的分子。振动非谐性是驱动分子热传导的机制。因此，这些实验将阐明生物和分子电子学中的散热和热降解机制。在这个为期五年的项目中，研究生、博士后科学家和本科生研究人员将接受各种实验和理论技术方面的培训。在该项目期间开发的光学设计将在网上发布，从而可供广泛的超快光谱研究人员使用。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).In this project supported by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program, Professor David McCamant of the University of Rochester will develop femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (FSRS) to study ultrafast processes in photochemistry and photobiology. FSRS is a unique spectroscopic method that can probe vibrational modes over a very broad spectral window with femtosecond time resolution while maintaining high spectral resolution. The first application will be an exploration of excited-state structural dynamics of nucleic acids, specifically the structural evolution of model nucleotides and DNA oligomers after photo-excitation. This work will provide new understanding of the effects of ultraviolet light on DNA, which can includes photo-damage and the production of skin lesions. The second project will develop two-dimensional FSRS to probe vibrational anharmonicity, especially for molecules in pure and mixed solvent environments. Vibrational anharmonicity is the mechanism that drives heat conduction through molecules. Hence, these experiments will illuminate the mechanisms of heat dissipation and thermal degradation in biology and molecular electronics. During the five-year project, graduate students, postdoctoral scientists and undergraduate researchers will be trained in a wide variety of experimental and theoretical techniques. Optics designs developed during this project will be published online, thus becoming available to a wide community of ultrafast spectroscopy researchers.