MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of a Pulse Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectrometer for Research and Instruction in the Connecticut River Valley

Amherst College, Amherst MA

Investigators

Abstract

This award is jointly supported by the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program, the Division of Chemistry Research Instrumentation program, and the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate Office of Strategic Initiatives. Amherst College is acquiring a pulse electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer to support the research of Jacob Olshansky in the Chemistry Department, Jonathan Friedman in the Physics and Astronomy Department, and numerous users from a variety of institutions. EPR is a well-established characterization technique for probing systems with unpaired electrons, such as organic radicals or metal complexes. Interest in this technique has grown in recent years due to its usefulness to many quantum information science (QIS) technologies. Specifically, quantum mechanical spin is the critical component in many proposed quantum bits (qubits), and this spin can readily be measured and manipulated with pulse EPR techniques. This instrument is therefore well-positioned to advance research in materials relevant to QIS while serving as a platform to train the next generation of quantum information scientists. This EPR spectrometer is the cornerstone for a new EPR user facility that serves the wider Connecticut River Valley, including four predominantly undergraduate institutions and three R1 institutions. Although a critical priority of this facility is serving QIS researchers, it also supports researchers exploring mechanisms of chemical reactions, structural biology, and a variety of other research areas. The facility prioritizes training and support for undergraduate researchers through both on-site instruction and publicly available online resources. The acquisition of this instrument supports research and research training at colleges and universities within the Connecticut River Valley and nationally. Continuous wave EPR is used by researchers interested in radical intermediates within organic transformations and is employed in inorganic chemistry instructional labs. This instrument is also equipped with pulse EPR capabilities which allow for spin state manipulation and the probing of spin dynamics. This capability is used to explore inorganic complexes as potential qubits, with particular emphasis on rare-earth materials and complexes that may support clock transitions. Furthermore, pulse EPR can be used to probe structural features of biomolecules through spin labels. Finally, this instrument is equipped with a pulsed laser that enables light-induced transient and pulse EPR. This technique, a notably rare capability nationwide, allows for the characterization of photogenerated spins. Researchers use this capability to explore photogenerated spin-qubit pairs, spin states resultant from triplet-triplet annihilation and singlet fission, and spin states within light-harvesting complexes. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.