In this project, funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Prof. Lawrence D. Ziegler of Boston University will conduct a series of experiments to investigate the electronic and nuclear responses to impressed strong laser fields. Three tasks will be pursued: 1) ultrafast spectroscopic techniques will be used to investigate the solvation properties of supercritical fluids (SCFs); 2) a novel two-photon absorption technique will be developed; and 3) a new method for the characterization of short optical pulses will be implemented. The first of these consists of three sub-parts, namely: a) investigations of femtosecond infrared photon echoes of SCF solutions; b) investigations of the optical heterodyne-detected (OHD) rotational Raman responses of hydrogen in SCFs; and c) a study of the polarization specific OHD Raman responses of neat SCFs. This research will be done in collaboration with theory groups and an experimental physics group.
Students and postdoctoral research associates will participate in this research and will be trained in one of the forefront areas of contemporary physical chemistry in preparation for advance study or employment in academia, industry, or government laboratories.
