MRI: Acquisition of a femtosecond laser system for time-resolved studies using Arizona State University's (ASU) Compact X-ray Light Source (CXLS)

亚利桑那州立大学(ASU)获得了一种最先进的相干Astrella、高功率、超快激光系统(Astrella)，该系统将用于触发自然材料、工程材料和量子材料的动态过程，该材料使用亚利桑那州立大学的首个紧凑型X射线光源(CXLS)成像。一名博士后助理将帮助将Astrella激光与CXLS整合在一起，使用世界级工具(CXLS是一所大学的国家实验室级工具)、跨学科主题提供丰富的培训机会，并建立可能导致高排名出版物和职业网络的多样化合作。来自生物、化学、物理、数据科学和工程的本科生和研究生将在调试和激光驱动的X射线科学实验中发挥关键作用，他们将协助加速器和光束线工程和维护、光束线配置、样品准备和交付、数据收集、数据分析和结构建模。Astrella-CXLS系统的能力将吸引大量用户社区-主要来自美国西南部，但也包括世界各地的顶尖专家-包括来自8所国内大学、2所国际大学(西班牙、德国)和1个国家实验室的33名用户。这将使研究人员能够进行尖端实验，以1)揭开光合作用对农业、森林和海洋以及细菌和人类视觉具有重要影响的秘密；2)为人类工程蛋白质和合成催化剂开发全新的科学，这些以前从未在国家X射线激光设施中进行研究，并将使下一代将太阳能转化为燃料的技术成为可能；3)启动新型量子材料的光驱动变化，最终目标是操纵超导体和自旋量子计算机。由Astrella-CXLS系统实现的潜在变革性研究成果将在同行评议的出版物和广泛科学领域的科学会议上传播，包括生物、化学、量子物理、材料科学以及地球和行星科学。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

An award is made to Arizona State University (ASU) to acquire a state-of-the-art Coherent Astrella, high power, ultrafast laser system (Astrella) that will be used to trigger dynamic processes in natural, engineered and quantum materials as imaged using ASU’s first-of-its-kind compact X-ray light source (CXLS). A postdoctoral associate will help integrate the Astrella laser with the CXLS providing a rich training opportunity using world-class tools (CXLS is a national laboratory-level tool at a university), interdisciplinary topics, and building diverse collaborations that may lead to high ranking publications and career networking. Undergraduate and graduate students from biology, chemistry, physics, data science, and engineering will play key roles during commissioning and laser-driven X-ray science experiments by assisting with accelerator and beamline engineering and maintenance, beamline configuration, sample preparation and delivery, data collection, data analysis and structural modeling.The capabilities of the Astrella-CXLS system will attract a large user community—primarily from the Southwestern US, but also leading experts across the world—including 33 users committed from eight domestic universities, two international universities (Spain, Germany) and one national lab. This will enable researchers to conduct cutting-edge experiments to 1) unravel the secrets of photosynthesis with important impacts in agriculture, forests, and oceans, as well as light-sensing in bacteria and human vision; 2) develop completely new science for human engineered proteins and synthetic catalysts, which have not been previously studied at national X-ray laser facilities, and will enable next generation technologies for converting solar energy to fuels; 3) initiate light-driven changes in novel quantum materials with the ultimate goal of manipulating superconductors and spin-based quantum computers. The potentially transformative results from the research enabled by the Astrella-CXLS system will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications and at scientific meetings across a broad range of scientific fields, including biology, chemistry, quantum physics, materials science, and the earth and planetary sciences.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.