Acquistion of Ultrafast Infrared Light Source

With this award from the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program, the Department of Chemistry at Columbia University will acquire an ultrafast infrared light source. This equipment will enhance research in the following areas: a) studies on the rates of energy flow, the dynamics of bond breaking, the formation of new species, and the existence of short-lived chemical intermediates on surfaces and in bulk media; b) studies on the ultrafast dynamics of low-lying electronic states relevant to nano-structures; c) use of nonlinear spectroscopic measurements for interface-specific probing of molecular vibrations; and d) experiments to harness the imaging capabilities in neuroscience investigations and to explore the use of IR pulses to trigger the firing of neurons.

These new capabilities will be of direct and major significance to the many graduate students and post-docs involved in its use. The existence of a laboratory support structure will make it possible for students without extensive expertise in ultrafast spectroscopy to perform new measurements relevant to their research program. The impact of the infrared light source will also be felt at the undergraduate and high-school level by enhancing students' scientific training and stimulating their interest in scientific careers. In addition, the development of IR optical methods for probing and triggering nerve cells could lead to an understanding of the neuron function and in time to new treatments of neurological and psychiatric diseases. With respect to the development of molecular design principles derived from studies of polymer surfaces, new and improved biomaterials and alternatives to conventional photolithography can be obtained.