Experimental setup for investigation of nanoclusters at cryogenic temperatures by electron spin resonance and optical spectroscopies

Journal Article · Tue Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4891189· OSTI ID:22308684

Meraki, A.; McColgan, P. T.; Khmelenko, V. V.; Lee, D. M. ^[1]; Shemelin, V. ^[2]

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1. Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A and M University, College Station, Texas 77843 (United States)
2. Cornell Laboratory for Accelerator-based Science and Education, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (United States)

We present the design and performance of an experimental setup for simultaneous electron spin resonance (ESR) and optical studies of nanoclusters with stabilized free radicals at cryogenic temperatures. A gas mixture of impurities and helium after passing through a RF discharge for dissociation of molecules is directed onto the surface of superfluid helium to form the nanoclusters of impurities. A specially designed ESR cavity operated in the TE{sub 011} mode allows optical access to the sample. The cavity is incorporated into a homemade insert which is placed inside a variable temperature insert of a Janis {sup 4}He cryostat. The temperature range for sample investigation is 1.25–300 K. A Bruker EPR 300E and Andor 500i optical spectrograph incorporated with a Newton EMCCD camera are used for ESR and optical registration, respectively. The current experimental system makes it possible to study the ESR and optical spectra of impurity-helium condensates simultaneously. The setup allows a broad range of research at low temperatures including optically detected magnetic resonance, studies of chemical processes of the active species produced by photolysis in solid matrices, and investigations of nanoclusters produced by laser ablation in superfluid helium.

• OSTI ID: 22308684
• Journal Information: Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 85, Issue 7; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0034-6748
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
ABLATION
CAMERAS
CHARGE-COUPLED DEVICES
CRYOSTATS
DISSOCIATION
ELECTRON SPIN RESONANCE
HELIUM
HELIUM 4
IMPURITIES
MOLECULAR CLUSTERS
MOLECULES
NANOSTRUCTURES
PHOTOLYSIS
RADICALS
SPECTROSCOPY
SUPERFLUIDITY
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0065-0273 K