Optical innovations deliver research results

22 Oct 2018

(Courtesy: iStock/Terraxplorer)

Commercial systems that harness the power of light are allowing researchers to probe everything from novel materials to fundamental physical systems. These recent highlights show how light-based tools can be applied to carbon nanomaterials, biomolecular structures, and the quantum and atomic worlds.

Raman measurements extended to “challenging” inorganic materials

Raman spectroscopy has become a powerful tool for probing the structure and properties of graphene, carbon nanotubes and other thin-film structures. That’s why Princeton Instruments, a US-based manufacturer of high-performance cameras and spectroscopy equipment, has now added 532 nm Raman capabilities to its popular FERGIE spectrograph.(Courtesy: Shutterstock/Mopic)

Raman measurements at 532 nm offer better sensitivity and higher resolution than those at longer wavelengths, allowing researchers to use FERGIE to characterize challenging inorganic materials such as graphene and other nanostructures. “FERGIE provides a carefully conceived ecosystem that not only allows researchers to design an experiment quickly but also to switch between different experiments in minimal time,” comments Peng Zou, FERGIE product manager at Princeton Instruments.

The FERGIE system includes modular accessories that allow users to perform high-precision measurements using several complementary characterization techniques, and it is now fully equipped for both 532 nm and 785 nm Raman applications.

Molecular interactions brought into view

Optical tweezers have become an essential tool for manipulating single cells and molecules, so much so that its invention in 1986 won Arthur Ashkin the 2018 Nobel Prize for Physics. Scientists and engineers have continued to refine the technique in the intervening years, and Lumicks is the first company to offer a commercial system that combines optical tweezers with fluorescence microscopy. This system, called the C-Trap, allows molecular interactions to be visualized and manipulated at the same time.The C-Trap in action

Researchers in the Netherlands have recently used the C-Trap to devise a new technique to quantify the molecular tension in DNA and other biomolecular structures (Nano Lett. 18 2274). The technique, which measures the fluorescence from dyes intercalated in the DNA, achieves a resolution of 1–3 pN over a range of at least 0.5–65 pN.

Laser lights up atomic and quantum research

A tunable continuous-wave laser from HÜBNER Photonics has been specifically designed for demanding applications in atomic physics and quantum optics. The high-precision C-WAVE laser delivers single-frequency radiation in the 450–650 nm and 900–1300 nm ranges, with output powers reaching 200 mW at visible wavelengths and 400 mW in the near infrared.Lasers for atomic physics at NIST

A recent innovation is the addition of precise wavelength control, called AbsoluteLambda, which allows the wavelength to be selected automatically with high accuracy (set point ± 1 MHz) and drift-free wavelength stabilization (±1 MHz). Full product information is available on the HÜBNER Photonics website.

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22/10/2018 FROM PHYSICSWORLD.COM