ITR/SY(MPS): Molecular-Based Optical Detection of Weak Magnetic Fields

Colorado State University, Fort Collins CO

Investigators

Abstract

C. Michael Elliott of Colorado State University is supported by the Division of Chemistry under the Information Technology Research (ITR) program to study molecular systems that have potential application in developing fundamentally new ways of reading stored magnetic information. New molecules and molecular ensembles that exhibit significant chemical responses to magnetic fields in the form of changed decay kinetics of the transient, photogenerated charge-separated state will be explored to optimize the systems for magnetic field responses. Project goals are: (1) to develop an understanding of how structural features of these new systems are related to the magnetic field dependences of their electron-transfer kinetics, specifically the kinetics of photoinduced charge-separated state formation and recombination, (2) to learn if molecular designs not necessarily closely related in structure to previously discovered assemblies will give similar field dependence kinetic responses, and (3) to investigate whether reverse micelles can serve as satisfactory hosts for these systems. Characterization and analysis of the dyes and materials under study will be carried out using pulsed laser spectroscopy, magnetic field effect experiments, and other standard analytical and materials analysis methods. This research project has clear technological underpinnings, motivated by the potential for the research outcomes to enable development of optically based, magnetic field sensors. Significant practical and economic benefits will result if this work leads to fundamentally new ways of detecting magnetic fields that could be used to read magnetic data.