Atomic and Molecular Laser Spectroscopy Laboratory  The objective of the research in the atomic and molecular laser spectroscopy laboratory is to gain knowledge about the basic properties of ions and neutral atoms and molecules, with a particular emphasis on the properties of molecules in electrical discharges.
A tunable CW diode laser of bandwidth better than 1 MHz and stability on the order of 100 MHz per hour was designed and built in the laboratory. Additional equipment includes a high power, high resolution tunable dye pulsed laser pumped by the third harmonic of an Nd-YAG laser along, with electronics capable of processing events as fast as half a nanosecond and detecting a single photon. |
Synthesis, Characterization and Application of Novel Materials This research program has been focused on the synthesis, characterization and application of various novel materials including thin films, nanotubes, and new nanostructures of carbon, boron nitrides (B-N), carbon nitrides (C-N), and boron-carbon nitrides (B-C-N); single crystals and nanowires of wide band-gap semiconductors (AlN, GaN, ZnO); and new nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals (CLBO, GdYCOB, KAB). The methodology incorporates a Dual-RF-plasma Pulsed-Laser Deposition (PLD) System used to coat catalyst thin films for the growth of carbon nanotubes. |
Structural Roles of Water in Bone Observed by Solid-State NMR  Vibrational spectroscopy is used to solve problems dealing with molecular structure. Nearly any type of sample can be analyzed by Raman spectroscopy because of the flexibility of using a focused laser beam as the light source. The current focus is on apatite, a form of calcium phosphate, which is the major constituent of bone and is also found as a natural mineral in rocks. The lab creates apatite substituted with ions typically found in bone in order to support Raman analysis of bone tissue. A silane hydrolysis process also is being explored, to develop a Raman detection method and study the kinetics of the process. The materials studied are diverse and have also included proteins containing the heme group (hemoglobin and cytochrome oxidase), inorganic glasses (germanium diselenide doped with metals) and polymers (azoazromatic polyethers). Modern computational modeling of molecular structure and conformation augments experimental studies. |
Ultra-Broadband Optical Wireless Communication Networks  This collaborative research project undertakes a multidisciplinary approach to optical wireless communications (OWC) networks and focuses on the first/last mile between the existing fiber-optic backbone and many homes and small of-fice buildings. The project aims at developing novel OWC networking and communications theory and techniques including those at the physical layer that overcome the scintillation (variation in light intensity) caused by the at-mospheric turbulence in OWC networks through sub-carrier modulation and coding, and those at the link and network layers that take into consideration the unique capabilities and constraints of OWC when designing optimal topol-ogy, survivable routing, and innovative dynamic reconfiguration algorithms to mitigate the negative effects of heavy or dense fog, as well as reduce the per link cost. As a result of the project effort, an OWC ring network will be built, running multimedia applications. The success of the project is expected to pro-vide an affordable ultra-broadband first/last mile access, enable new multime-dia applications to be delivered to residential homes and small office buildings, and serve as a stepping stone to the integration of heterogeneous technologies based on radio frequency (e.g., Wireless Local Area Networks, WLAN, and cellu-lar networks) and fibers. |
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