9601734 Pan A mode-locked titanium-doped sapphire laser system will be acquired by Fisk University. The pulsed laser system will serve as excitation source for characterizing two basic type of laser and nonlinear optical materials: doped glasses and II-VI compound semiconductors. Phenomena to be studied include luminescence lifetimes of rare-earth ions in glasses, nonlinear optical indexes of quantum-dot glasses, and the nonlinear optical response of and optical limiting in doped glasses and II-VI semiconductors. The phenomena to be studied are relevant to the utilization of the materials in nonlinear optical devices. The research program involves undergraduate and masterOs degree students. %%% The proposed laser system is a major and essential equipment for the research on nonlinear optical materials at Fisk University. The outcome of such research has important potential applications to all optical switching and to high data rate communications. The instrumentation will strengthen and complement the existing capabilities for characterization of optical and electronic materials. The UniversityOs teaching program will be enhanced since underrepresented minority students will gain experience in using lasers and various optical techniques. ***
