Ultrafast carrier dynamics in GeSn thin film based on time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy

We measure the time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy of GeSn thin film and studied the ultrafast dynamics of its photo-generated carriers.The experimental results show that there are photo-generated carriers in GeSn under femtosecond laser excitation at 2500 nm,and its pump-induced photoconductivity can be explained by the Drude–Smith model.The carrier recombination process is mainly dominated by defect-assisted Auger processes and defect capture.The firstand second-order recombination rates are obtained by the rate equation fitting,which are(2.6±1.1)×10^(-2)ps^(-1)and(6.6±1.8)×10^(-19)cm^(3)·ps^(-1),respectively.Meanwhile,we also obtain the diffusion length of photo-generated carriers in GeSn,which is about 0.4μm,and it changes with the pump delay time.These results are important for the GeSn-based infrared optoelectronic devices,and demonstrate that Ge Sn materials can be applied to high-speed optoelectronic detectors and other applications.

Determination of Iron in Water Solution by Time-Resolved Femtosecond Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

The influence of the energy of femtosecond laser pulses on the intensity of Fe I （371.99 nm） emission line and the continuous spectrum of the plasma generated on the surface of Fe^3＋ water solution by a Ti： sapphire laser radiation with pulse duration 〈45 fs and energies up to 7 mJ is determined. A calibration curve was obtained for Fe3＋ concentration range from 0.5 g/L to the limit of detection in water solution, and its saturation was detected for concentrations above 0.25 g/L, which is ascribed to self-absorption. The 3σ- limit of detection obtained for Fe in water solution is 2.6 mg/L in the case of 7 mJ laser pulse energy. It is found that an increase of laser pulse energy insignificantly affects on LOD in the time-resolved LIBS and leads to a slight improvement of the limit of detection.

Time-resolved spectroscopy of femtosecond laser-induced Cu plasma with spark discharge

The combination of spark discharge and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is called spark discharge assisted LIBS.It works under laser-plasma triggered spark discharge mode,and shows its ability to enhance spectral emission intensity.This work uses a femtosecond laser as the light souuce,since femtosecond laser has many advantages in laser-induced plasma compared with nanosecond laser,meanwhile,the study on femtosecond LIBS with spark discharge is rare.Time-resolved spectroscopy of spark discharge assisted femtosecond LIBS was investigated under different discharge voltages and laser energies.The results showed that the spectral intensity was significantly enhanced by using spark discharge compared with LIBS alone.And,the spectral emission intensity using spark discharge assisted LIBS increased with the increase in the laser energy.In addition,at low laser energy,there was an obvious delay on the discharge time compared with high laser energy,and the discharge time with positive voltage was different from that with negative voltage.

A Highly Sensitive Femtosecond Time-Resolved Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy System with Simultaneous Measurement of Multiple Polarization Combinations

Characterization of real-time and ultrafast motions of the complex molecules at surface and interface is critical to understand how interracial molecules function. It requires to develop surface-sensitive, fast-identification, and time-resolved techniques. In this study, we employ several key technical procedures and successfully develop a highly sensitive femtosecond time-resolved sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy （SFG-VS） system. This system is able to measure the spectra with two polarization combinations （ssp and ppp, or psp and ssp） simultaneously. It takes less than several seconds to collect one spectrum. To the best of our knowledge, it is the fastest speed of collecting SFG spectra reported by now. Using the time-resolved measurement, ultrafast vibrational dynamics of the N-H mode of α-helical peptide at water interface is determined. It is found that the membrane environment does not affect the N-H vibrational relaxation dynamics. It is expected that the time-resolved SFG system will play a vital role in the deep understanding of the dynamics and interaction of the complex molecules at surface and interface. Our method may also provide an important technical proposal for the people who plan to develop time-resolved SFG systems with simultaneous measurement of multiple polarization combinations.

Time-resolved spectroscopy of collinear femtosecond and nanosecond dual-pulse laser-induced Cu plasmas

In this paper,we investigate the time-resolved spectroscopy of collinear femtosecond(fs)and nanosecond(ns)dual-pulse(DP)laser-induced plasmas.A copper target was used as an experimental sample,and the fs laser was considered as the time zero reference point.The interpulse delay between fs and ns laser beams was 3μs.First,we compared the time-resolved peak intensities of Cu(I)lines from Cu plasmas induced by fs+ns and ns+fs DP lasers with collinear configuration.The results showed that compared with the ns+fs DP,the fs+ns DP laser-induced Cu plasmas had stronger peak intensities and longer lifetimes.Second,we calculated time-resolved plasma temperatures using the Boltzmann plot with three spectral lines at Cu(I)510.55,515.32 and 521.82 nm.In addition,time-resolved electron densities were calculated based on Stark broadening with Cu(I)line at 521.82 nm.It was found that compared with ns+fs DP,the plasma temperatures and electron densities of the Cu plasmas induced by fs+ns DP laser were higher.Finally,we observed images of ablation craters under the two experimental conditions and found that the fs+ns DP laser-produced stronger ablation,which corresponded to stronger plasma emission.

Time-resolved spectroscopy for 5s^('4)D_(7/2) state transitions undergoing electron–ion recombination in femtosecond laser-produced copper plasma

In the femtosecond laser-produced Cu-plasma, the transient transition dynamics that the excited state 5s4D7/2 via electron-ion recombination transfers to 4p4F9/20 （465.11 nm, Λ1 line） and 4p4D7/20 （529.25 nm, Λ2 line） states are investigated by using the time-resolved spectroscopy. The occupation number and relevant lifetime of the excited state 5s4D7/2, the temporal evolutions of spectral intensities for Λ1 line and Λ2 line emissions are demonstrated to be in direct proportion to the employed laser intensity, which reveals the transient features of transition dynamics clearly differing from that resulted in the traditional collision excitation. Furthermore, some unique characteristics for Λ1 and Λ2 transitions stemming from electron-ion recombination are examined in detail.

Distance-Dependent Long-Range Electron Transfer in Protein:a Case Study of Photosynthetic Bacterial Light-Harvesting Antenna Complex LH2 Assembled on TiO 2 Nanoparticle by Femto-Second Time-Resolved Spectroscopy

The function of protein in long-range biological electron transfer is a question of debate. We report some preliminary results in femtosecond spectroscopic study of photosynthetic bacterial light-harvesting antenna complex assembled onto TiO2 nanoparticle with an average size of 8 nm in diameter. Crystal structure shows that photosynthetic bacterial antenna complex LH2 has a ring-like structure composed by alpha- and beta-apoprotein helices. The alpha- and beta-transmembrance helices construct two concentric cylinders with pigments bacteriochlorophyll a (Bchl a) and carotenoid (Car) buried inside the protein. We attempt to insert TiO2 nanoparticle into the cavity of the inner cylindrical hollow of LH2 to investigate the nature of the electron transfer between the excited-state Bchl a and the TiO2 nanoparticle. A significant decrease in the ground state bleaching recovery time constant for Bchl a at 850 run (B850) in respect to that of the Bchl a in free LH2 has been observed. By using the relation of distance-dependent long-range electron transfer rate in protein, the distance between the donor B850 and the acceptor TiO2 nanoparticle has been estimated, which is about 0.6 nm. The proposed method of assembling proteins onto wide-gap semiconductor nanoparticle can be a promising way to determine the role of the protein playing in biological electron transfer processes.

A New kHz Velocity Map Ion/Electron Imaging Spectrometer for Femtosecond Time-Resolved M olecular Reaction Dynamics Studies

A new velocity map imaging spectrometer is constructed for molecular reaction dynamics studies using time-resolved photoelectron/ion spectroscopy method. By combining a kHz pulsed valve and an ICCD camera, this velocity map imaging spectrometer can be run at a repetition rate of 1 kHz, totally compatible with the fs Ti：Sapphire laser system, facilitating time-resolved studies in gas phase which are usually time-consuming. Time-resolved velocity map imaging study of NH3 photodissociation at 200 nm was performed and the time-resolved total kinetic energy release spectrum of H＋NH~ products provides rich information about the dissociation dynamics of NH3. These results show that this new apparatus is a powerful tool for investigating the molecular reaction dynamics using time-resolved methods.

Photochemical Reaction of Benzoin Caged Compound： Time-Resolved Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Study

The benzoin group caged compound has received strong interests due to its excellent photo- deprotection properties and wide use in chemical and biological studies. We used timeresolved infrared spectroscopy to investigate the photochemical reaction of the benzoin caged compound, o-（2-methylbenzoyl）-DL-benzoin under 266 nm laser irradiation. Taking advantage of the specific vibrational marker bands and the IR discerning capability, we have detected and identified the uncaging product 2-methylbenzoic acid, and two intermediate radicals of benzoyl and 2-methylbenzoate benzyl in the transient infrared spectra. Our results provide spectral evidence to support the homolytic cleavage reaction of C-C=O bond in competition with the deprotection reaction. Moreover, the product yields of 2-methylbenzoic acid and benzoyl radical were observed to be affected by solvents and a largely water contalning solvent can be in favor of the deprotection reaction.

Investigation on Exciton Relaxation Kinetics of ZnCulnS/ZnSe/ZnS Quantum Dots by Time-Resolved Spectroscopy Techniques

The exciton relaxation kinetics of ZnCuInS/ZnSe/ZnS quantum dots （QDs） is investigated by time-resolved spectroscopy techniques in detail. Based on the rate distribution model, the wavelength-dependent emission dynamics shows that the intrinsic exciton, the exciton in the interface defect state and that in donor-acceptor pair state （DAPS） together participate in the photoluminescence process of QDs, and the whole emission process is mainly dependent on the DAPS emission. Transient absorption data show that the intrinsic exciton and the interface defect species maybe together appear after excitation and the intensity-dependent Auger recombination process also exists in QDs at high excitation intensity.

Time-resolved shadowgraphs and morphology analyses of aluminum ablation with multiple femtosecond laser pulses

Aluminum ablation by multiple femtosecond laser pulses is investigated via time-resolved shadowgraphs and scanning electron microscope （SEM） images of the ablation spot. The spatial distribution of the ejected material and the radius of the shock wave generated during the ablation are found to vary with the increase in the number of pulses. In the initial two pulses, nearly concentric and semicircular stripes within the shock wave front are observed, unlike in subsequent pulses. Ablation by multiple femtosecond pulses exhibits different characteristics compared with the case induced by single femtosecond pulse because of the changes to the aluminum target surface induced by the preceding pulses.

Polarization Dependent Time-Resolved Infrared Spectroscopy and Its Applications

Polarization dependent time-resolved infrared （TRIR） spectroscopy has proven to be a useful technique to study the structural dynamics in a photochemical process. The angular information of transient species is obtainable in this measurement, which makes it a valuable technique for the investigation of electron distribution, molecular structure, and conformational dynamics. In this review, we briefly introduce the principles and applications of polarization dependent TRIR spectroscopy. We mainly focused on the following topics： （i） an overview of TRIR spectroscopy, （ii） principles of TRIR spectroscopy and its advantages compared to the other ultrafast techniques, （iii） examples that use polarization dependent TRIR spectroscopy to probe a variety of cheinical and dynamical phenomena including protein conformational dynamics, excited state electron localization, and photoisomerization, （iv） the limitations and prospects of TRIR spectroscopy.

Time-resolved infrared spectroscopic investigation of Ga_(2)O_(3) photocatalysts loaded with Cr_(2)O_(3)-Rh cocatalysts for photocatalytic water splitting

Investigation of the charge dynamics and roles of cocatalysts is crucial for understanding the reaction of photocatalytic water splitting on semiconductor photocatalysts.In this work,the dynamics of photogenerated electrons in Ga_(2)O_(3) loaded with Cr_(2)O_(3)-Rh cocatalysts was studied using time-resolved mid-infrared spectroscopy.The structure of these Cr_(2)O_(3)-Rh cocatalysts was identified with high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and CO adsorption Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy,as Rh particles partly covered with Cr_(2)O_(3).The decay dynamics of photogenerated electrons reveals that only the electrons trapped by the Rh particles efficiently participate in the H2 evolution reaction.The loaded Cr_(2)O_(3) promotes electron transfer from Ga_(2)O_(3) to Rh,which accelerates the electron-consuming reaction for H2 evolution.Based on these observations,a photocatalytic water-splitting mechanism for Cr_(2)O_(3)-Rh/Ga_(2)O_(3) photocatalysts has been proposed.The elucidation of the roles of the Cr_(2)O_(3)-Rh cocatalysts aids in further understanding the reaction mechanisms of photocatalytic water splitting and guiding the development of improved photocatalysts.

Coherent coupling between vibrational modes of C-H bonds at different positions studied by femtosecond time-resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering

We performed femtosecond time-resolved coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering （fs-CARS） measurements on liquid toluene and PVK film. For both samples, we selectively excited the CH stretching vibrational modes and observed the expected quantum beat signals. The frequency of the well-defined beats is in good agreement with the energy difference between the two simultaneously excited modes, which demonstrates that a coherent coupling between the vibrational modes of the C H chemical bonds exists at the different positions of the molecules. The dephasing times of the excited modes are obtained simultaneously.

Development and Application of Ultrafast Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy Techniques

Chirality hold broad applications in life sciences,quantum devices,and various other areas.Traditionally,molecular chirality can be characterized by using steady-state circular dichroism spectroscopy.However,the techniques that can characterize excited state chirality are progressively capturing the public interest as it can provide the dynamic information for chirality generation and transfer.In this review,we focus on the theoretical background and the developmental history of femtosecond time-resolved circular dichroism spectroscopy(TRCD)techniques around the world.Additionally,we provide examples to showcase the utility of these techniques in the analysis of the dynamical molecular chemical structures,the investigation of molecular chirality generation,and the detection of electron spin dynamics in semiconductor quantum dots.

Detection of K in soil using time-resolved laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy based on convolutional neural networks

One of the technical bottlenecks of traditional laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy(LIBS) is the difficulty in quantitative detection caused by the matrix effect. To troubleshoot this problem,this paper investigated a combination of time-resolved LIBS and convolutional neural networks(CNNs) to improve K determination in soil. The time-resolved LIBS contained the information of both wavelength and time dimension. The spectra of wavelength dimension showed the characteristic emission lines of elements, and those of time dimension presented the plasma decay trend. The one-dimensional data of LIBS intensity from the emission line at 766.49 nm were extracted and correlated with the K concentration, showing a poor correlation of R_c^2?=?0.0967, which is caused by the matrix effect of heterogeneous soil. For the wavelength dimension, the two-dimensional data of traditional integrated LIBS were extracted and analyzed by an artificial neural network(ANN), showing R_v^2?=?0.6318 and the root mean square error of validation(RMSEV)?=?0.6234. For the time dimension, the two-dimensional data of time-decay LIBS were extracted and analyzed by ANN, showing R_v^2?=?0.7366 and RMSEV?=?0.7855.These higher determination coefficients reveal that both the non-K emission lines of wavelength dimension and the spectral decay of time dimension could assist in quantitative detection of K.However, due to limited calibration samples, the two-dimensional models presented over-fitting.The three-dimensional data of time-resolved LIBS were analyzed by CNNs, which extracted and integrated the information of both the wavelength and time dimension, showing the R_v^2?=?0.9968 and RMSEV?=?0.0785. CNN analysis of time-resolved LIBS is capable of improving the determination of K in soil.

Ultrafast Decay Dynamics of N-Ethylpyrrole Excited to the S_(1)Electronic State:A Femtosecond Time-Resolved Photoelectron Imaging Study

N-ethylpyrrole is one of ethylsubstituted derivatives of pyrrole and its excited-state decay dynamics has never been explored.In this work,we investigate ultrafast decay dynamics of N-ethylpyrrole excited to the S_(1)electronic state using a femtosecond time-resolved photoelectron imaging method.Two pump wavelengths of 241.9 and 237.7 nm are employed.At 241.9 nm,three time constants,5.0±0.7 ps,66.4±15.6 ps and 1.3±0.1 ns,are derived.For 237.7 nm,two time constants of 2.1±0.1 ps and 13.1±1.2 ps are derived.We assign all these time constants to be associated with different vibrational states in the S_(1)state.The possible decay mechanisms of different S_(1)vibrational states are briefly discussed.

Ultrafast Dynamics of Water Molecules Excited to Electronic ■ States:A Time-Resolved Photoelectron Spectroscopy Study

The ultrafast dynamics of water molecules excited to the two F states is studied by combining two-photon excitation and time-resolved photoelectron imaging techniques. The lifetimes of the F1A1 and F1B1 states of H2O (D2O) were derived to be 1.0±0.3 (1.9±0.4) and 10±3 (30±10) ps, respectively. We propose that the F1A1 state mainly decays through the D state, due to the nonadiabatic coupling between them, while the F1B1 state decays through the F1A1 state via Coriolis interaction.

Ultrafast Dynamics Through Conical Intersections in 2,6-dimethylpyridine Studied with Time-resolved Photoelectron Imaging

The ultrafast dynamics through conical intersections in 2,6-dimethylpyridine has been studied by femtosecond time-resolved photoelectron imaging coupled with time-resolved mass spectroscopy. Upon absorption of 266 nm pump laser, 2,6-dimethylpyridine is excited to the S2 state with a ππ character from So state. The time evolution of the parent ion signals consists of two exponential decays. One is a fast component on a timescale of 635 fs and the other is a slow component with a timescale of 4.37 ps. Time-dependent photo- electron angular distributions and energy-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy are extracted from time-resolved photoelectron imaging and provide the evolutive information of S2 state. In brief, the ultrafast component is a population transfer from S2 to S1 through the S2/S1 conical intersections, the slow component is attributed to simultaneous IC from the S2 state and the higher vibrational levels of S1 state to So state, which involves the coupling of S2/S0 and S1/So conical intersections. Additionally, the observed ultrafast S2--＋S1 transition occurs only with an 18% branching ratio.

A comparison of single shot nanosecond and femtosecond polarization-resolved laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of Al

Aluminum samples have been analyzed by femtosecond polarization-resolved laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy （fs-PRLIBS）. We compare the obtained spectra with those obtained from nanosecond PRLIBS （ns-PRLIBS）. The main specific features of fs-PRLIBS are that a lower plasma temperature leads to a low level of continuum and no species are detected from the ambient gas. Furthermore, signals obtained by fs-PRLIBS show a higher stability than those of ns-PRLIBS. However, more elements are detected in the ns-PRLIBS spectra.