Femtosecond laser pulse has been used for the machining of the gratings primarily due to its superior advantages over conventional continuous wave (CW) and long pulse lasers for micromachining. In this paper, we develop a novel technique for the fabrication of planar gratings by colliding two beams to generate interference fringes. This technique is simple, fast and low cost. We have successfully fabricated planar gratings on a copper substrate. / Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA)

This project explores optimization of two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) enhancement between tunable narrowband and un-tuned broadband femtosecond (fs) laser pulse excitations for two-photon microscopy (TPM). The research is conducted preliminarily in time domain and comprehensively in frequency domain to understand the physics behind TPEF enhancement by un-tuned sub-10 fs nearly transform-limited pulse (TLP) versus tunable 140 fs pulse. The preliminary study on inverse proportionality of TPEF yield to fs-pulse duration delimits a general lower-bound to narrowband fs-pulse regime (pulse duration > 40 fs) with assumption of dye-molecule frequency invariant response. Deviations from this inverse proportionality in broadband fs-pulse regime (pulse duration < 40 fs) highlights dye-molecule frequency variant response, necessity of group delay dispersion (GDD) compensation, and broadband TLP for TPEF enhancement. The follow-up comparative study is made on un-tuned sub-10 fs TLP versus tunable 140 fs pulse excitations using three dye-phantoms (Indo-1, FITC, and TRITC) representative of fluorescent probes with similar TPEF characteristics. The integrated experimental system, with custom-designed GDD compensation, dispersion-less laser-beam expanding and focusing, and compound-lens for efficient fluorescence collection with good spectral resolution, ensures accurate TPEF measurements. Differentiated TPEF enhancements of Indo-1 (1.6), FITC (6.7), and TRITC (5.2) proportionally agree with calculated ones due to the overlap of fs-pulse second harmonic (SH) power spectrum with dye-molecule two-photon excitation (TPE) spectrum. Physically speaking, with broadband sub-10 fs TLP readily involved in both degenerate (v1 = v2) and non-degenerate (v1 ≠ v2) two-photon absorption (TPA), this un-tuned ultrashort fs-pulse excitation simultaneously allows for more accessibility to TPA-associated final states and diversely promotes population of thus excited dye-molecules with the three dye-phantoms. Under environmental influences (mutual quenching through one-photon absorption(s) and solvent effect), multicolor TPEF enhancement observed from a mixture of the three dyes shows promise of sub-10 fs TLP as simultaneous excitation for multiple-dye labeled samples in contrast to compromised excitation with narrowband fs-pulse tuning. Both single- and multicolor TPEF enhancements clarify tradeoff between tunability of narrowband fs-pulse and un-tuned broadband fs-pulse excitations, being instructive to further considerations on optimization of TPEF enhancement by strategic utilization of broadband fs-pulse for better performance of TPM.

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Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / In this study, it has been carried out quantum molecular dynamics simulations for the hydrogen abstraction reaction from methane, silane, germane and stannane by H, F, Cl and I atoms and being or not being induced by femtosecond laser pulses with the aim to favor the dissociation of the M-H (M = C, Si, Ge and Sn). All the simulations have been performed using a simulation scheme based on ab initio calculations of molecular dynamics, where the motion of the atomic nuclei is described classically while the electrons are treated quantically by the Density Functional Theory (DFT). The results of the molecular dynamics simulations for the hydrogen abstraction reaction from methane, that is a very inert molecule, show that only the fluorine atom is able to promote the dissociation of the C-H bond. For the simulations performed in the presence of the electromagnetic radiation, it was possible to observe that the femtosecond laser pulse could induce the hydrogen abstraction from methane when the reaction occurs with the hydrogen or fluorine atom. The results of the molecular dynamics simulations for the hydrogen abstraction reaction from silane show that also the fluorine as the hydrogen atoms are able to dissociate effectively the Si-H bond in silane. In the case of the hydrogen abstraction from silane by the chlorine atom, the effective Si-H dissociation does not happen. In the simulations including the pulsed electromagnetic radiation, it is observed that it was possible to favor even more the hydrogen abstraction reaction from silane by the hydrogen and fluorine atoms, moreover, it was possible to turn effective the dissociation of the Si-H bond by the chlorine atom. The GeH4 and SnH4 molecules could be easily dissociated by the hydrogen, fluorine and chlorine atoms. About the iodine atom, it was not able to promote the hydrogen abstraction reaction in germane and stannane, even in the presence of the femtosecond laser pulse. / Neste trabalho foram realizadas simulações de dinâmica molecular quântica para as reações de abstração de hidrogênio nas moléculas de metano, silano, germano e estanano por átomos de H, F, Cl, e I sendo realizadas simulações sem e com o uso do pulso de laser de femtosegundos com o objetivo de favorecer a quebra das ligações M-H (M = C, Si, Ge ou Sn). Todas as simulações foram realizadas utilizando um esquema baseado em cálculos ab initio de dinâmica molecular, onde o movimento dos núcleos atômicos é descrito classicamente, enquanto os elétrons são tratados quanticamente pela Teoria do Funcional de Densidade (DFT). Os resultados das simulações de dinâmica molecular das reações de abstração de hidrogênio no metano mostram que, por esta molécula ser bastante inerte, somente o átomo de flúor é capaz de promover a dissociação da ligação C-H. Para as simulações realizadas na presença da radiação eletromagnética, foi possível observar que o pulso de laser consegue favorecer a abstração de hidrogênio no metano quando a reação acontece com o átomo de hidrogênio ou flúor. Os resultados das simulações de dinâmica molecular para a reação de abstração de hidrogênio no silano mostram que tanto o átomo de flúor quanto o de hidrogênio são capazes de promover a captura do átomo de hidrogênio promovendo a quebra da ligação Si-H. No caso da reação de abstração de hidrogênio na molécula de silano por átomo de cloro, a quebra efetiva da ligação Si-H não acontece. Nas simulações com a radiação eletromagnética pulsada observa-se que foi possível favorecer ainda mais as reações de abstração de hidrogênio no silano por átomos de flúor e hidrogênio, além de tornar efetiva a ruptura da ligação Si-H na reação com o átomo de cloro. As ligações químicas Ge-H e Sn-H nas moléculas de GeH4 e SnH4 conseguiram ser quebradas facilmente nas reações de abstração de hidrogênio por átomos de hidrogênio, flúor e cloro. Quanto ao átomo de iodo, este não foi capaz de promover a reação de abstração de hidrogênio nas moléculas de germano e estanano, mesmo na presença do pulso de laser de femtosegundos.