Award Abstract #0321171
Acquisition of a Tunable, 10-fs and 100-fs Laser Spectroscopy System for Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science and Physics

NSF Org:	DMR Division of Materials Research
Initial Amendment Date:	July 31, 2003
Latest Amendment Date:	January 11, 2005
Award Number:	0321171
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Charles E. Bouldin DMR Division of Materials Research MPS Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences
Start Date:	September 1, 2003
Expires:	August 31, 2005 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:	$400000
Investigator(s):	Norman Tolk norman.tolk@Vanderbilt.edu (Principal Investigator) Richard Haglund (Co-Principal Investigator) Leonard Feldman (Co-Principal Investigator) Sandra Rosenthal (Co-Principal Investigator) E. Duco Jansen (Co-Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:	Vanderbilt University Division of Sponsored Research NASHVILLE, TN 37235 615/322-2631
NSF Program(s):	MAJOR RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION
Field Application(s):	0106000 Materials Research
Program Reference Code(s):	AMPP, 9161, 1750
Program Element Code(s):	1189

ABSTRACT

This grant supports the acquisition of an ultrashort-pulse, broadly tunable laser facility for the study of electron and phonon dynamics in micro- and nanostructured materials. The facility includes a titanium:sapphire oscillator, a regenerative amplifier for the oscillator, and a set of two optical parametric amplifiers that can be used by the oscillator-amplifier combination. The combined laser systems supply multiple streams of intense, coherent pulses over a wavelength range from ultraviolet to mid-infrared, with pulse duration of 100 fs, The unique experiments made accessible by the availability of this ultrafast laboratory will include: studies of electron-electron correlations, femtosecond dynamics of phase transitions, coherent phonon generation, spectral hole burning in nanostructures, optical spectroscopy of photosynthetic processes in biomimetic nanostructures, studies of fast nonradiative processes in semiconductors, and optical coherence tomography with sub-cellular resolution. The initial program involves researchers with substantial research funding carrying out studies on all of these topics. In addition to the co-investigators named in the proposal, scientists and engineers from several other schools and departments at Vanderbilt, Fisk and neighboring undergraduate institutions are expected to use the facility.

The project will enhance teaching, training and learning through an associated for-credit, two-week intensive training course in ultrafast spectroscopy taught by the co- investigators and associated post-doctoral scholars. This is necessary for effective use of the facility, but will also serve to enrich our graduate curriculum and provide a venue for recruitment of new users. Participation from underrepresented groups will be enhanced through the participation of faculty and students from Fisk University with whom many of the Vanderbilt co-PIs have established collaborative research arrangements. By making available this unique resource to qualified users, the ultrafast laser facility will significantly enhance the current infrastructure for research in Middle Tennessee. Broad dissemination of the results will be ensured not only through the usual scientific venues (conferences, workshops, seminars and colloquia), but also through Vanderbilt's Internet Webzine, Explorations, which is staffed by full-time professionals from the University's Division of News and Public Affairs. Benefits to society can be expected in fields ranging from biomedical engineering to semiconductor science.

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