Optical Analysis Laboratory

The Optical Analysis Laboratory is a facility provided primarily to members of the School of Physics in Trinity College. The main laboratory is located in the SNIAM building and provides various techniques for the complete optical characterisation of suitable material systems. Check the facilities page for details on the equipment and techniques available within the laboratory and other systems based in the School of Physics, including the new Photonics Laboratory in the Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices, (CRANN).

Services are provided to external departments and commercial concerns upon individual negotiation. Check the commercial link or contact Chris Smith for more information.

Academic and commercial concerns outside of the School of Physics can submit requests for measurements and analysis. Such project work will be conducted under individual negotiation and within the normal regulations laid down by the University. For more infomation send details to chris.smith@tcd.ie specifying the nature of the work and quantity.

• Christopher Smith
  Experimental Officer
  
  Optical Analysis Laboratory
  Room -1.17
  SNIAM
  School of Physics
  Trinity College Dublin,
  Dublin 2, Ireland.
  tel: ++ 353 1 896 3063
  fax: ++ 353 1 6711759
  E-Mail: chris.smith@tcd.ie
  

Training

Assitance and basic training on specific systems will be given where needed. This may be warranted by large sample volumes or regular use. Undergraduate students will be given preference for undergraduate project work. People will be expected to register before using the laboratory and log their use of particular systems. Please check the resources link for background information.

Location

The main Optical Analysis Laboratory is located in the basement Room -1.17 of the SNIAM building, situated at east end of the College at the rear of the Rugby pitch.

Photonics Laboratory

• Contact: Dr. Jing Jing Wang,
  Room 3.21,
  CRANN,
  Trinity College Dublin,
  Dublin 2, Ireland.
  e-mail: jjwang@tcd.ie
  Tel : +353.1.896 4633,
  Fax : +353.1.896 3037

The Ultrafast Laser Systems are useful tools in the understanding of fast photodynamic processes in physics, chemistry and biology . There are many techniques, such as time-resolved absorption spectroscopy, time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy, have been developed throughout the world. CRANN now has a unique ultrafast laser laboratory to investigate the dynamic processes in materials and the interactions between laser and materials, principally in nanoscale materials such as quantum dots.

One of well developed techniques to investigate ultrafast phenomena is the pump-probe technique. The sample is excited from its equilibrium position by the pump beam where a transient excited state is created. If the sample is being pumped at regular intervals that are shorter than the excited state lifetime, then this event can be detected by using a serials of delayed laser pulses-probe beam. The pump-probe technique provides information on the relaxation of the excited state in materials. It is one of the most powerful tools for investigating energy and charge transfer processes, coupling of electronic and vibrational degrees of freedom, vibrational and conformational relaxation, isomerisation and so on.

To make use of these facilities you must complete the User form and submit it.

Femtosecond Laser Systems

Applications

• Pump-probe
• Laser ablation & deposition
• Z-Scan
• High-harmonic Generation by Resonant Plasmon Field Enhancement

SNOM+AFM+Raman Spectroscopy System

Applications

• Multi-photon Fluorescence Microscopy
• Coherent Anti-Stockes Raman Spectroscopy
• AFM, Atomic Force Microscopy
• SNOM, Scanning Near-field Optical Microscope