Laser and Spectroscopy
The MRL Laser and Spectroscopy Core 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.
Many of the instruments of the Laser and Spectroscopy Core require the use of lasers, therefore requiring laser safety training. See below for more details on the offered trainings.
Laser Safety
Many of the instruments of the Laser and Spectroscopy Core require the use of lasers and require laser safety training. There are two levels of safety training: online and hands-on. The online training is offered by the Division of Research Safety (DRS) and need to be renewed annually. After completing this training, you must enter the completion date in the MRL scheduling system using the “Update” button next to your “Safety Trainings” list on the main page.
The instruments that involve direct alignment and manipulation of laser beam paths require a hands-on training, in addition to the DRS training. This training can be requested through the Instrument Scheduling tool, in the same way you would request training on an instrument, and it is called Hands-on Laser Safety Training.
Techniques
Microscopy
The microscopy suite in the Laser and Spectroscopy Core encompasses a wide variety of instruments for imaging and mapping of material properties. Available modalities include confocal 3D optical profilometry, 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.
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 an ultrafast UV to IR Optical Parametric Oscillator, a supercontinuum 480 nm to 2400 nm pulsed laser, and several ultrafast (<0.5 ps pulse width) laser sources.
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.
Scanning Probe Optical Spectroscopy
Atomic force microscopy and optical characterization combine to give surface chemical information.
Equipment in this Core
| Equipment Name | Contact | Location | Techniques | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment Name | Contact | Location | Techniques | |
| Mueller matrix ellipsometer J.A. Woollam RC 2 |
|
148 MRL |
|
State-of-the-art ellipsometer for measuring spectroscopic, generalized, and Muller matrix ellipsometry. The RC2 can be used to determine optical constants and thickness of multilayers or bulk materials, as well as reflectance and transmission as a function of angle of incidence, polarization, and wavelength, including highly anisotropic materials and microstructured samples. Wavelength range: 193 nm to 1690 nm; Angle of incidence: 45° to 90°; Temperature: 5°C to 600°C |
| Thermo Nicolet iS50 FTIR |
|
0024 Supercon |
|
The Thermo Nicolet iS50 Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectrophotometer is equipped to measure transmission, specular and diffuse reflection, diffuse transmission, and attenuated total reflection (ATR) in the mid-IR. Ranges vary for different accessories within 400 cm-1 to 7800 cm-1. FT-Raman can be measured with an excitation of 1064 nm. |
| Two-Color Time Domain Thermoreflectance - TRMOKE |
|
0024 Supercon |
|
This equipment was funded through the Illinois MRSEC, NSF Award Number DMR-2309037. TDTR is a modality of femtosecond pump/probe spectroscopy. It is used to observe optically-induced changes in optical properties on a 100’s of fs time-scale. |
| Keyence VK-X1000 3D Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope |
|
B80 MRL |
|
The Keyence VK-X1000 employs a 404 nm laser to map and measure the surface of samples through confocal scanning or widefield focus variation. |
| LIBS (Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) EA-300 |
|
148 MRL |
|
The EA 300 Series Laser-based Elemental Analyzer from Keyence uses laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for elemental analysis. |
| Oriel Solar Simulator |
|
148 MRL |
|
This ABB solar simulator provides uniform illumination over an area of 2” x 2” at an output of 1 SUN. |
| Montana Cryostation s200 |
|
0024 Supercon |
|
The Montana Cryostation s200 is a closed-cycle optical cryostat used to control the temperature and vacuum parameters of a 200 mm-diameter integrated sample environment to under 5 K without the need for liquid cryogens. |
| Oxford OptistatDry |
|
0024 Supercon |
|
The Oxford OptistatDry BLV is a bottom-loading cryostat for spectroscopy consists of a compact cryostat with optical access, cooled by a closed-cycle refrigerator. This cryogen free cryostat is capable of cooling samples to under 5 K without the need for liquid cryogens. |
| Zeiss LSM7 Live Confocal Fluorescence Microscope |
|
0014 Supercon |
|
The Zeiss LSM 7 Live confocal fluorescence line-scanning microscope is a fast imaging system capable of 120 frames per second at 512 x 512 pixels, which enables analyzing high-speed processes with a time resolution of a few microseconds. |
| Newport Solar Simulator |
|
148 MRL |
|
Measures I-V curves under solar spectrum or monochromatic illumination. |
| OL 750 Spectroradiometer |
|
148 MRL |
|
The OL 750 is a spectroradiometric measurement system for internal and external quantum efficiencies (IQE, EQE). It is equipped with a white light bias accessory that allows solar cells' active area to be brought up to a typical operating energy level while simultaneously measuring the spectral response. |
| SLM/ISS Fluorometer |
|
148 MRL |
|
Measures photo-excited fluorescence of liquid samples. Excitation ranges from 200 nm to 800 nm. Emission between 200 nm and 900 nm. Samples can be heated or cooled from -20°C to 100°C. |
| Nanophoton Raman 11 |
|
0022 Supercon |
|
Fast high-resolution confocal Raman/PL microscopy with excitation at 532 nm and 785 nm. |
| Zeiss Axiovert Inverted Optical Microscope |
|
0014 Supercon |
|
Conventional widefield inverted materials microscope equipped with C-DIC, TIC, polarization, brightfield, and darkfield in reflected or transmitted illumination. |
| Varian Cary 5G and Agilent Cary 5000 |
|
148 MRL |
|
The Cary spectrophotometers are able to do measurements of transmission and reflection in the UV, visible, and near-IR (190 nm to 3300 nm). Modes of measurement include transmission, absolute specular reflection, integrated total fluorescence, diffuse transmission (190 nm to 2500 nm), diffuse reflection, and combined diffuse reflection and transmission (190 nm to 2500 nm). |
| Time-Domain Thermoreflectance |
|
0024 Supercon |
|
TDTR is a modality of femtosecond pump/probe spectroscopy. It is used to observe optically-induced changes in optical properties on a 100’s of fs time-scale. Primarily applied to study thermal properties of thin films and across interfaces, our two custom-built instruments, have accessories to allow for time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr-effect measurements. These instruments are based on Spectra-Physics Tsunami ultrafast Ti:sapphire lasers. |
| Time-Resolved Photoluminescence |
|
0024 Supercon |
|
Enables time-resolved measurements of luminescent emission spectra upon photoexcitation (fluorescence and phosphorescence) to determine the lifetime of emitting states with single photon sensitivity and < 1 ns temporal resolution. Several excitation wavelengths are available in the range from 380 nm to 900 nm. |
| Horiba XploRA-nano TERS/TEPL |
|
0022 Supercon |
|
This equipment was funded through the Illinois MRSEC, NSF Award Number DMR-2309037. The XploRA PLUS Raman Microscope head-based tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) and tip enhanced photoluminescence (TEPL) from Horiba, Inc. is a fully integrated TERS/TEPL system based on SmartSPM state of the art scanning probe microscope (SPM) and XploRA Raman micro-spectrometer. |
| Molecular Vista PiFM-Raman |
|
0022 Supercon |
|
The Vista One PiFM-Raman microscope from Molecular Vista enables nano-IR measurements with very high resolution (~10nm lateral resolution for mapping and spectroscopy) in the wavenumber range 1908 - 752 cm-1. |
| Photoluminescence / Raman |
|
0024 Supercon |
|
Measures luminescent emission spectra upon photoexcitation (fluorescence and phosphorescence) and Raman scattering. Our custom-built experimental setup has discrete excitation wavelengths available in the range from 266 nm to 1050 nm. It allows for measurements from 4.2 K to 300 K using a liquid He bath cryostat. |
| Ramé-Hart Model 250 Contact Angle Goniometer |
|
148 MRL |
|
The Ramé-Hart Model 250 Contact Angle Goniometer / Tensiometer is equipped with a wide range of method-based interfacial analysis tools for working with pendant, inverted pendant, sessile, and captive bubble drops to obtain contact angle, surface energy, and surface and interfacial tension. |
| J.A. Woollam VASE |
|
148 MRL |
|
For spectroscopic ellipsometry. - Measure optical constants and thickness of multilayers or bulk materials, as well as reflectance and transmission as a function of angle of incidence, polarization, and wavelength. - Wavelength range: 240 nm to 1700 nm; - Angle of incidence: 12° to 90°; Temperature: 10 K to 700 K |
| Gaertner L116C |
|
148 MRL |
|
For single wavelength, multiple angle ellipsometry. |