What is Synchrotron Infrared Light and Why is it Useful? Synchrotron infrared light is simply infrared light that is produced from a synchrotron. Although most synchrotron light sources are optimized to produce X-ray and vacuum ultraviolet radiation, they also produce broad band radiation in the infrared region. The primary advantage of synchrotron infrared radiation is its brightness. Because the light originates from a small packet of electrons, the source can be treated as a point source. Thus, infrared light from a synchrotron can be easily collimated and/or focused to diffraction limited spot sizes (~1-10 μm), allowing high spatial resolution (infrared spectromicroscopy) and high spectral resolution. 
| High Brightness- Diffraction-limited spot sizes for microscopy
- Easily collimated for high spectral resolution
| More Far-IR Flux- Increased Signal to Noise
- Smaller samples
| Pulsed Source- Fast timing measurements (nanosecond)
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 Honing in on graphene electronics with infrared synchrotron radiation
Researchers at the ALS Infrared Beamlines, the University of California at San Diego (UCSD), working with colleagues at Columbia University in New York and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Florida have measured the extraordinary properties of graphene with an accuracy never before achieved. The results confirm many of the strangest features of the unusual material but also reveal significant departures from theoretical predictions. And they point the way to novel practical applications, such as tunable optical modulators for communications and other nanoscale electronics. The researchers report their findings in the June issue of the journal Nature Physics.
"Surprising Graphene: Precise Measurement Reveals Strange Properties." 06/08/08: LBNL Research News Article; ScienceDaily; EurekaAlert; LigthtSources.org; 06/09/08: Photonics.com; PhysOrg.com; ScientistLive; Daily India; newKerala; NewsLocale; HULIQ.com; Ascribe; theCheers.org; Thaindian News; NanoWerk; 7thSpace; 06/10/08: Today at Berkeley Lab; Innovations Report; Nanotechnology Now; Small Times; R&D Magazine; 06/11/08: Foresight Nanodot;
"Physicists Reveal Secrets Of Newest Form Of Carbon" 06/10/08: UCSD News Release; ScienceDaily; PhysOrg.com; Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News; NanoWerk; Xinhua (China); Science Centric; Eureka! Science News; 06/11/08: People's Daily; The Hindu; Thaindian News; NewsLocale; Daily India; Fresh News; HULIQ.com; theCheers.org; LightSources.org; Mathaba; 06/12/08: Chemie.de; Innovations Report; |
How do I schedule my beamtime? If your proposal has been officially allocated beamtime by the ALS User Services Office, you may submit your beamtime scheduling requests. First check the current schedule for the beamline you want to use by clicking the  Beamtime Calendars link and selecting the appropriate beamline. This calendar is live, so you will always see the latest schedule. When you find available time you would like to request (available time is when nothing else is scheduled; if an entire day is open the calendar will say 'no meetings'), simply fill in and submit the beamtime request form at the right, or e-mail your request to Mike and/or Hans. We will reply to you via e-mail to confirm that your beamtime has been scheduled, or to discuss any issues with scheduling your requested time. |
What is Infrared Light? The infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum is sandwiched between the microwave and visible regions and is often divided into three sub-regions: the far-IR, mid-IR, and near-IR. The far-IR (~5 - 500 cm-1), also called Terahertz radiation, has traditionally been used for rotational spectroscopy, but the emerging field has many new applications in communications, security, and imaging. The mid-IR (~500 - 4000 cm-1) can be used to study the vibrational levels of most molecules. Because every molecule has a unique infrared spectrum, mid-IR spectroscopy has become a workhorse for analytical, biological, environmental, forensic, and material science applications. The near-IR (~4000 - 14000 cm-1) covers the region of overtone vibrations and has many applications, including biological and medical imaging.
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