Acquisition of an Optical Parametric Amplifier for High Magnetic Field Ultrafast Exciton Spectroscopy and Education

With this award from the IMR program William Marsh Rice University will acquire an ultrafast laser system, consisting of a chirped pulse amplifier (CPA) and an optical parametric amplifier (OPA). This system will produce intense and coherent electromagnetic radiation with wavelength continuously tunable from 1.15 mm to 18 mm and significantly advance our on-going research at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL). The principal investigators are currently developing an ultrafast optics facility at the NHMFL under the In-House Research Program, for the study of semiconductor quantum structures, especially for investigating the dynamics of excitons in high magnetic fields. Particular emphasis is placed on how to create and control quantum coherence in excitons that are simultaneously subjected to an intense laser field and an intense magnetic field. Such a system provides an ideal environment in which to address fundamental and unresolved issues in nonlinear and quantum optics in solids in a well-controlled manner. The laser field manipulates discrete internal states of excitons whereas the magnetic field freezes the center-of-mass motion of excitons and tunes the internal energy levels. The large spatial extent of excitons, compared to atoms, leads to strong light-matter coupling, and dramatic non-perturbative phenomena are expected. Such research provides significant insight into the fundamental physics of light-matter interaction and can answer whether light excitation in solids is really quantum, as in quantum optics of atoms. Undergraduate and graduate researchers, including students from underrepresented groups will be involved and will acquire expertise in cutting-edge techniques in ultrafast optics.

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With this award from the Instrumentation for Materials Research program William Marsh University will acquire a state-of-the-art laser system, which will produce ultrashort pulses of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength continuously tunable in a very wide range and significantly advance our on-going research at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL). The investigators are currently developing an ultrafast optics facility at the NHMFL under the In-House Research Program, for the study of semiconductor quantum structures, especially for investigating the dynamics of excitons in high magnetic fields. Such a project provides an ideal environment in which to address fundamental and unresolved issues in nonlinear and quantum optics in solids

in a well-controlled manner. The research will involve a team of undergraduate and graduate researchers, including students from underrepresented minority groups. They will acquire expertise in cutting-edge techniques in ultrafast optics.