Laser spectroscopy instrumentation

Lasers are used extensively in the School of Chemistry primarily for optical spectroscopy applications.

The School houses several major laser spectroscopy laboratories. Details of the instrumentation in these laboratories can be found at the groups’ respective websites, but are summarised here:

  • Bieske group:
    • Prof. Evan Bieske:
      • Photoisomerisation Action Spectroscopy
        • (Ekspla Nd:YAG laser/OPO)
      • Electronic Spectroscopy of Cold Gas-Phase Ions
  • Ultrafast & Microspectroscopy Laboratories:
    • Profs. Trevor Smith and Ken Ghiggino:
      • Femtosecond laser spectroscopy (transient absorption, fluorescence upconversion, fsIR (coming))
        • High rep. rate dual amplifier system
        • High rep. rate laser amplifier system (Coherent RegA) with 2 optical parametric amplifiers.
      • Time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC), fluorescence anisotropy
        • Mode-locked and cavity dumped Ti:sapphire oscillator (Coherent Mira)
        • Mode-locked Ti:sapp oscillator (KML)
        • Picosecond supercontinuum lasers (NKT, Fianium)
        • Mode-locked Nd SESAM laser (Time-Bandwidth Product Cheetah-X)
      • Nanosecond laser flash photolysis
        • Nd:YAG laser/OPO (Ekspla)
      • Advanced laser-based optical microscopy
        • Time-resolved emission microscopy (or fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM))
        • Total internal reflection microscopy
        • Structured illumination microscopy
        • Stimulated emission depletion microscopy
        • Fluorescence anisotropy microscopy
        • Transient absorption microscopy
  • Nanoscience Laboratories:
    • Prof. Paul Mulvaney/Dr. James Hutchison:
      • Single molecule/particle spectroscopy/microscopy
      • Dynamic light scattering
      • Visible and NIR hyperspectral imaging
      • Dynamic light scattering (Brookhaven)
  • Wille Laboratories:
    • Prof. Uta Wille
      • Nanosecond laser flash photolysis