Ultrafast ion detector for the study of molecular chirality

需要和紧迫性。我正在进行的研究项目之一是手性分子的光学检测、操作和分离。为了研究分子手性，我们使用了一种非常规光源——一种被称为“光学离心机”的独特激光仪器。在最近的一系列原理验证实验中，我们证明了激光离心机可以提供一种长期寻求的通用（即独立于化学结构）方法，用于根据手性分子的检测和分离，就像机械离心机根据质量分离分子一样。然而，目前我们的离子探测器的灵敏度较差，阻碍了对光离心手性分子的进一步深入研究，阻碍了我们将这一重要发现发展为急需的实际应用。升级我们的离子探测器与先进的“时间戳”能力，在这个应用程序中要求，将立即提高其灵敏度几个数量级，使我们能够充分利用我们独特的激光技术。研究项目。类似于两个手性分子之间的化学反应，手性分子与光的相互作用取决于分子和光学“试剂”的手性。传统上，相互作用光子的手性是由它们的圆偏振提供的。我的研究项目是基于另一种形式的手性光场——光学离心机的光场。离心机是一个激光脉冲，它的线偏振旋转的角频率比圆偏振光的偏振慢得多。因此，离心机采用手性分子的旋转自由度（而不是电子自由度），迫使分子旋转，而不考虑其化学成分或电子共振。另一方面，同一手性分子的两个相反的对映体在光学离心机中以截然不同的方式旋转，正如我的小组最近所展示的那样。我们的目标是开发新的方法，不仅用于非共振光子手性分子的普遍检测，而且用于手性动力学的对映选择性控制和用激光操纵手性分子。知识和培训的进步。尽管有大量的投资和迫切的需求，但目前还没有一种化学或物理方法可以提供一种检测和分离分子对映体的通用方法，这种方法可以独立于它们的特定分子结构。在光学离心机中对手性分子的研究为实现这一重要目标提供了一种有前途的基于激光的方法。我们的离子探测器被要求升级为一种非常先进的、在很大程度上不熟悉的“时间戳”技术，这将为我们的HQP提供独特的研究经验和非常有市场的技能，适用于离子探测器广泛使用的学术和工业部门。

NEED and URGENCY. One of my ongoing research programs is on optical detection, manipulation and separation of chiral molecules. To study molecular chirality, we use an unconventional light source - a unique laser instrument known as an "optical centrifuge". In a series of recent proof-of-principle experiments, we demonstrated that a laser centrifuge may offer a long-sought universal (i.e. independent on the chemical structure) method for the detection and separation of chiral molecules according to their handedness, much like mechanical centrifuges separate molecules according to their mass. However, at this time, poor sensitivity of our ion detector prohibits any further in-depth studies of the optically centrifuged chiral molecules, preventing us from developing this important discovery into much needed practical applications. Upgrading our ion detector with an advanced "time stamping" capability, requested in this application, will immediately boost its sensitivity by a few orders of magnitude, allowing us to take full advantage of our unique laser technology. RESEARCH PROGRAM. Similar to a chemical reaction between two chiral molecules, an interaction of a chiral molecule with light depends on the handedness of both the molecular and optical "reagents". Traditionally, the chirality of the interacting photons has been provided by their circular polarization. My research program is based on an alternative form of a chiral light field - the field of an optical centrifuge. The centrifuge is a laser pulse whose linear polarization rotates at much slower angular frequencies than the polarization of a circularly polarized light. As a result, the centrifuge engages the rotational (rather than the electronic) degree of freedom of a chiral molecule, forcing the molecule to rotate regardless of its chemical composition or electronic resonances. On the other hand, the two opposite enantiomers of the same chiral molecule are spun by the optical centrifuge in distinctly different ways, as recently shown by my group. Our goal is to develop new methods not only for the universal detection of chiral molecules with non-resonant photons, but also for the enantio-selective control of chiral dynamics and manipulation of chiral molecules with laser light. ADVANCEMENT of KNOWLEDGE and TRAINING. Despite large investments and the vital need, no chemical or physical process is known to provide a universal method of detecting and separating molecular enantiomers, which would work independently of their specific molecular structure. The proposed study of chiral molecules in the optical centrifuge offers a promising laser-based approach to achieve this important goal. The requested upgrade of our ion detector with a very advanced and largely unfamiliar "time stamping" technology will provide our HQP with a unique research experience and a very marketable skill, applicable to both the academic and industrial sectors, where ion-based detectors are widely used.