(DURIP) FEMTOSECOND XUV SPECTROMETER FOR QUBITS AND CATALYSTS
Abstract
X-ray absorption spectroscopy is a powerful tool for measuring the electronic structure of each element in complex catalysts. Over the past six years, the Vura-Weis group has developed femtosecond M-edge XANES spectroscopy in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) spectral region as a sensitive probe of the oxidation state, spin state, and ligand field of transition metal complexes, and used this technique to identify hidden states in photocatalysts for CO2 reduction and hydrocarbon oxidation. This DURIP proposal will fund a one-of-a-kind solution-phase XUV-soft X-ray spectrometer that will allow us to track transition states and reactive intermediates in real time. In addition to significantly increasing the usable flux for the XUV probe of the metal active sites, the expanded energy range of the new instrument will measure the influence of non-innocent ligands on catalytic reaction mechanisms. Both protonation and oxidation-reduction of the ligands will be observed at S and P absorption edges, which will enable us to track every electron and proton in multielectron redox reactions that produce storable fuels. Finally, we will use this instrument to pursue a new paradigm in molecular quantum information science, in which we use ultrafast intersystem crossing to imprint and amplify the circular polarization of a photon onto the spin polarization of a transition metal complex. The new design principles for excited-state spin manipulation we develop will allow researchers to initialize multiple entangled spins in molecular arrays with a single photon.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 07, 2023
- Source ID
- FA95502110374
Entities
People
- Joshua Vura-weis
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign