HBCU_MI Acquisition of UV/Vis/Raman Spectroscopy and Imaging Instrumentation for Physics and Engineering Research
Abstract
Funds are requested for the acquisition of UV/Vis/Raman spectroscopy and imaging instrumentation for chemical and structural characterization of materials. UCSB is both a major research university and Hispanic Serving Institution, providing a unique opportunity to leverage a well-developed infrastructure to expand minority access to cutting-edge instrumentation while simultaneously advancing DoD research priorities. The proposed acquisition will operate as a user facility, with provisions to enhance access for other minority serving institutions (MSIs). Materials research at UCSB is highly inter-disciplinary, relying on user facilities in the Materials Research Laboratory (MRL) and California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) that together provide NMR, electron and scanning probe microscopy, and x-ray characterization. Shared facilities are critical to research and development across the campus and the region, much of which is DoD supported. Moreover, the high degree of accessibility makes UCSB shared facilities a hub for external users, including users from regional and national MSIs. Despite this, there is currently no venue on campus or in the surrounding region for state-of-the-art optical characterization, spectroscopy, and imaging over multiple length, time, and energy scales. The requested funds will be used to establish an optical characterization facility which includes UV, visible, and Raman spectroscopy and imaging of materials under static and dynamic conditions. Capabilities will include sample characterization from 10-900K, in situ study of catalysts under reaction conditions, and measurement of dynamics over timescales from picoseconds to hours. The new facility will serve multiple campus departments (Physics, Materials, Chem. Eng., Chemistry, Biology, Mech. Eng., Elect. and Computer Eng., Environmental Science, Marine Science, and Geology) as well as external users, with special access granted to users from HBCU/MIs, such as our UTEP partners. The Raman spectroscopy and optical imaging facility will provide essential new research capabilities for students, post-docs, and researchers driving campus initiatives in microelectronics, energy, and materials research. The proposed facility will contribute to the research and development of next-generation materials for electronic devices, medical diagnostics, energy storage and harvesting, and surface protection that are relevant to the Army and DoD. Within the UCSB campus alone, impacted DoD-funded research ranges from basic (TLR 1) investigations of the optoelectronic properties new two-dimensional heterostructures to antireflective coatings undergoing testing in collaboration with ARL (TRL 5/6). Moreover, the facility will provide an important educational tool and training venue for undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral students through its incorporation into coursework on light-matter interactions and materials characterization. The facility will become part of the Materials Research Facilities Network (MRFN), a collaborative effort focused on increasing the visibility and usage of analytical and computational instrument centers. The MRFN particularly emphasizes access by MSI partners, with the purpose of attracting more students to graduate research and improving retention through access to state-of the- art facilities. MRFN users typically submit short proposals requesting access to instrumentation, techniques, and highly skilled staff. Undergraduates will be recruited through existing programs administered by the MRL. These programs target undergraduate students from underrepresented groups in STEM fields from various institutions (research/teaching universities, community colleges, and junior colleges) throughout California and the US.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 20, 2018
- Source ID
- W911NF1610427
Entities
People
- Andrea Young
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
- University of California, Santa Barbara