MRI: Acquisition of an Amplified Ultrashort Pulse Laser for Imaging and Spectroscopy

这次核磁共振成像采集将在美国四角地区建立第一个用于光谱学和能源科学的放大超短脉冲激光设备。该设施将设在科罗拉多州杜兰戈的路易斯堡学院（FLC）。该仪器的获得将大大提高拟研究人员、学院和该地区的研究和教学能力。这次收购将直接增加代表性不足的群体在科学研究中的参与。FLC是一所为印第安人服务的机构，在全美印第安人全日制本科生比例中排名第四，但在授予印第安人的学士学位中排名第一，在授予印第安人的STEM学位中排名第二。FLC的学生以及来自合作学校（即科罗拉多梅萨大学和圣胡安学院）的学生将在最先进的设施中进行研究。此次收购将极大地改善该地区的研究基础设施，并促进与当地工业、地区实验室和大学的更紧密联系。这种影响将扩展到整个地区的学生，整个社区将受益于准备更充分、更多样化的劳动力。最后，生成的数据将传播到更广泛的研究界，从而对喷雾破碎过程，核冷却，能量传递和液相分子动力学以及该仪器计划的其他研究方面的知识产生持久影响。超短脉冲放大激光系统已经发展成为强大的交钥匙系统，能够产生具有几毫焦耳能量的相干脉冲，当与光学参数放大器结合使用时，波长范围从紫外到红外。超短激光脉冲为生物、化学、工程和材料科学的广泛应用提供了前所未有的时间分辨率。许多基本的物理过程发生在超快的时间尺度上，超短脉冲激光创造了许多新的和创新的方法来研究这些过程。该激光设备将用于以下研究项目：燃烧和推进科学、第四代核反应堆、液相分子能量转移动力学、多孔硅的光致发光和表面形貌、激光图像化、激光辅助沉积、光伏材料表征、光热疗法、材料表征以及路易斯堡学院创新显微镜能力的发展。该奖项由CBET部门和CMMI部门共同资助。

This MRI acquisition will establish the first amplified ultrashort pulse laser facility for spectroscopy and energy science in the Four Corners region of the United States. The facility will be based at Fort Lewis College (FLC) in Durango, Colorado. The acquisition of this instrument will significantly boost the research and teaching capacity of the proposing investigators, the college and the region. This acquisition will directly increase the participation of underrepresented groups in scientific research. FLC is a Native American serving institution and ranks fourth in the nation in percentage of full-time Native American undergraduates but first in baccalaureate degrees and second in STEM degrees awarded to Native Americans. FLC students, along with students from collaborating schools (i.e., Colorado Mesa University and San Juan College) will perform research in a state-of-the-art facility. This acquisition will vastly improve the research infrastructure of the region in addition to facilitating closer ties with local industry, regional laboratories and colleges. This impact will extend to students throughout the region, and the community as a whole will benefit from a better prepared and diverse workforce. Finally, data generated will be disseminated to the wider research community leading to a lasting impact on the knowledge in spray breakup processes, nuclear cooling, energy transfer and liquid phase molecular dynamics and other research planned for the instrument. Ultrashort pulse amplified laser systems have evolved into robust, turnkey systems capable of generating coherent pulses with several millijoules of energy and, when combined with an optical parametric amplifier, wavelength ranges from the ultraviolet to the infrared. Ultrashort laser pulses provide unprecedented temporal resolution for a wide range of applications within biology, chemistry, engineering, and materials science. Many fundamental physical processes occur during ultrafast time scales, and ultrashort pulsed lasers have created a host of new and innovative ways of investigating such processes. This laser facility will be used in research programs focusing on combustion and propulsion science, Generation IV nuclear reactors, the dynamics of liquid phase molecular energy transfer, photoluminescence and surface morphology of porous silicon, laser patterning, laser assisted deposition, characterization of photovoltaic materials, photothermal therapeutics, materials characterization, and the development of innovative microscopy capabilities at Fort Lewis College. This award is co-funded by the CBET Division and CMMI Division.