Cathodoluminescence (CL) is the light emitted by specimens, as a result of electron bombardment, in the wavelength range of 160 to 2000 nm. This broad spectral range allows CL to be collected from a wide variety of materials including metals, semiconductors and biological samples, as well as devices based on them. The proposed CL Electron Microscope will be employed for optical testing of materials and devices and will support the mission of UCF, a comprehensive state university committed to providing quality education, engaging in beneficial research and integrating the university's education, research and training programs with the local community. As of 2016, UCF is the second largest university in the US and the second largest in the state of Florida to grant M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Materials Science and Engineering. Consequently, there has been a significant need for curriculum development and enhancement to establish comprehensive physics, optics, photonics and materials science programs. Because of the large number of students involved, there is a number of specialty graduate level courses given on advanced devices and materials technologies. The proposed CL Microscope will form the basis of new laboratory course to train students in the theory, methodology and data analysis possible with this new and versatile state-of-the-art equipment. It should be noted that UCF hosts several NSF programs with as much as 68% students from under-represented groups. Therefore, an involvement of the proposed Attolight Microscope in these programs will also promote training of minority students in top-edge research projects. If this project is successful, the proposed CL Microscope will be the first one ever deployed in the North and South America, thus demonstrating the broader impact of the instrument on the research community at the regional, national and international levels.
The proposed CL instrument will be an essential piece of equipment for characterization of novel materials and functional structures such as semiconductor and plasmonic devices as well as ceramic microstructures and defects. The advantage of the proposed system is also in its capabilities of studying various organic materials. The proposed CL Microscope will allow unprecedented nano-scale imaging and in-depth understanding of non-equilibrium electronic carrier dynamics (down to pico-second time scale) and transport in a wide range of materials and devices. This understanding constitutes the main intellectual merit of the proposed NSF-MRI project. The proposed system will additionally advance a number of research efforts in photonics and materials science at UCF. Hence, such a tool will provide a fundamental, multi-disciplinary and versatile capability that is presently lacking at the University of Central Florida, thus emphasizing the broader impact of this MRI proposal.
