Purchase and Development of a Cyber-Enabled Broadly Tunable kHz Femtosecond Laser System

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).

With support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities: Multiuser program (CRIF:MU), the Department of Chemistry at the University of Central Florida will acquire a broadly tunable kHz femtosecond laser system. The laser system will be used by researchers at University of Central Florida, as well as by partner institutions to study the ultrafast dynamics in chemicals and materials. These studies include: (1) studies of multi-photon absorbing materials; (2) multi-photon spectroscopy and nano-photonics; (3) characterization of large-area 3D metallo-dielectric nano-photonic materials; and (4) the ultrafast dynamics of photovoltaic organic composites. The laser system will be used by large numbers of undergraduate and graduate students, both in instructional settings as well as in research. Significant numbers of the graduate student users are members of groups traditionally underrepresented in the sciences.

Ultrafast laser systems, like the one purchased under this award, allow chemists to probe the dynamics of chemical and physical processes at precisely the time scales for important chemical and physical processes, from the making and breaking of chemical bonds, to the vibrations of individual atoms and the relaxation of excited electrons. The ability of chemists to observe these processes allows them to develop a better understanding of how molecules and materials work. This kind of knowledge can be used to make new or better materials or devices.