Spectrophotometer with variable temperature cell for the study of electronically labile materials

我们的总体研究计划专注于制备和研究能够改变其性质的新的分子变种。尤其是，我们正在研究可以在不同温度下改变其磁性的新材料：在更高的温度下，这些系统表现出可测量的磁性(称为顺磁性)，并且随着样品的冷却，分子的电子结构发生变化，结果是任何顺磁性的消失(我们把这种状态称为“抗磁性”)。我们之所以对这些材料感兴趣，是因为它们是真正的开关器件，但却是在最小的水平上：在分子尺度上。目前的科学研究集中在制造微观分子尺度上的宏观电子设备/部件，如导线、晶体管等。在这些尺度上，我们的分子设备将展示出远远优于类似的宏观设备的性能，结果将是极快的计算能力和海量数据存储能力。仅举几个例子。当然，这些材料需要准备和研究。一种用于研究分子开关的方法是跟踪分子内随着温度变化而发生的电子变化。随着分子的电子结构变化，它吸收不同频率光的能力也随之变化。有了我们向NSERC索要的光谱仪，我们现在可以在实验室里研究我们的系统中的这些物理变化。

Our general research programme is focused on the preparation and study of new variants of molecules that can "switch" their properties.  In particular, we are investigating new materials that can change their magnetic properties at different temperatures:  At higher temperatures these systems exhibit measureable magnetic properties (known as "paramagnetism") and as the sample is cooled, the molecules undergo a change in their electronic structure and the result is a disappearance of any paramagnetism (we call this state "diamagnetism").     We are interested in these materials because they are truly switching devices but on the smallest possible level:  the molecular scale.  Current scientific research is focused on making macroscopic electronic devices/components, like wires, transistors, etc.,  on the tiny molecular scale.  At these scales, our molecular devices will exhibit properties that are vastly superior to the analogous macroscopic devices and the result will be extremely fast computing power and massive data storage capabilities, just to name a couple.     Of course, these materials need to be prepared and studied.  One method used to study "molecular switches" is to track the electronic changes that occur within the molecule as the temperature is changed.  As the electronic structure of the molecule changes, so does its ability to absorb different frequencies of light.  With the spectrometer we have requested from NSERC, we can now study these physical changes in our systems in our lab as we make them.