Dr Adrien Chauvet from the Department of Chemistry and the University’s Energy Institute has been awarded a £1.4 million EPSRC Strategic Infrastructure grant to establish a next-generation ultrafast spectroscopy facility at the University of Sheffield.
The laser facility, High-Power Laser for Ultrafast Spectroscopy or Hi-PLUS, is expected to make the University of Sheffield the next regional hub for ultrafast science.
The facility will complement and critically expand the capabilities of the Department of Chemistry’s Lord Porter Ultrafast Laser Spectroscopy Laboratory. The new facility will allow for spatial mapping of a material's electronic properties with micrometric precision, with liquid nitrogen cryogenic capabilities, and over extended temporal and spectral range, all in a single unit.
As it supports research into both chemistry and materials properties, the Hi-PLUS facility will help to bridge the gap between the fundamental science it enables with the application of the studied functional materials, which can include batteries, photovoltaics (PV), catalysts and many more. To achieve this, Hi-PLUS uses a more robust and user-friendly Yb-laser technology.
This means that fundamental research for both the faculties of Science and Engineering at the University will be enhanced by the Hi-PLUS. The cutting-edge nature of the system means it will also be valuable for users outside the University, who will be able to come and use the facilities.
Hi-PLUS will thus run as a user-base facility, and is expected to be the next regional hub for ultrafast science.
If you are interested in accessing the Hi-PLUS, or for more information, please get in touch with Dr Adrien Chauvet on a.chauvet@sheffield.ac.uk.
