Laser and Spectroscopy
The MRL Laser and Spectroscopy suite is a user-oriented, user-friendly facility that provides the modern photon-based analytical capabilities essential to today’s materials science. These services emphasize the study of optical properties of materials and interfaces, and the relation to microstructural and microchemical composition, phase transitions, crystalline, electronic, and defect structure of materials, surfaces, and interfaces.
Techniques
Contact Angle Goniometry
This technique is used to quantify the wettability of a solid surface by a liquid, as well as determining surface free energy, surface tension, and interfacial tension between materials.Ellipsometry
Ellipsometry is an optical method used for the characterization of surfaces and thin film layers by measuring the change in polarization of light reflected or transmitted from them. Commonly used to determine layer thickness and optical constants, in some cases ellipsometry can also be applied to determine composition, crystallinity, roughness, and other material properties associated with changes in optical response.Light Sources
We have a varied assortment of lamps and pulsed and continuous-wave lasers, including a supercontinuum 480 nm to 2400 nm pulsed laser and several ultrafast (<0.5 ps pulse width) laser sources.Microscopy
The microscopy suite in the Laser and Spectroscopy Facility encompasses a wide variety of instruments for imaging and mapping of material properties. Available modalities include confocal Raman and fluorescence microscopy, scattering scanning near-field FTIR spectroscopy, C-DIC, TIC, polarization, phase, brightfield, and darkfield. Available geometries are inverted and upright using reflected or transmitted illumination.Spectroscopy
Spectroscopy uses the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter to characterize optical, thermal, mechanical and electronic properties of materials. The MRL facilities include conventional, state-of-the-art spectroscopic tools in addition to techniques and instrumentation developed in house.
Equipment in this Core
Equipment Name | Contact | Location | Technique(s) |
---|---|---|---|
Gaertner L116C | soares@illinois.edu | 148 MRL | Ellipsometry |
J.A. Woollam VASE | soares@illinois.edu | 148 MRL | Ellipsometry |
Keyence VK-X1000 3D Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope | soares@illinois.edu | 0022 Supercon | Microscopy |
Nanophoton Raman 11 | soares@illinois.edu | 0022 Supercon | Microscopy |
Neaspec NanoFTIR/NIM AFM, SSNOM | soares@illinois.edu | 0022 Supercon | Microscopy |
Newport Solar Simulator | soares@illinois.edu | 148 Supercon | Spectroscopy |
OL 750 Spectroradiometer | soares@illinois.edu | 148 MRL | Spectroscopy |
Oriel Solar Simulator | soares@illinois.edu | 148 MRL | Light Sources |
Photoluminescence | soares@illinois.edu | 0024 Supercon | Spectroscopy |
Ramé-Hart Model 250 Contact Angle Goniometer | soares@illinois.edu | 148 MRL | Contact Angle Goniometry |
SLM/ISS Fluorometer | soares@illinois.edu | 148 MRL | Spectroscopy |
Thermo Nicolet Nexus 670 FTIR | soares@illinois.edu | 0024 Supercon | Spectroscopy |
Time-Domain Thermoreflectance | soares@illinois.edu | 0024 Supercon | Spectroscopy |
Time-Resolved Photoluminescence | soares@illinois.edu | 0024 Supercon | Spectroscopy |
Two-Color Time Domain Thermoreflectance - TRMOKE | soares@illinois.edu | 0024 Supercon | Spectroscopy |
Varian Cary 5G and Agilent Cary 5000 | soares@illinois.edu | 148 MRL | Spectroscopy |
Zeiss Axiovert | soares@illinois.edu | 0022 Supercon | Microscopy |
Zeiss LSM7 Live | soares@illinois.edu | 0022 Supercon | Microscopy |