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A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | A P R I L 2 0 1 6
1 0 TESTING | CHARACTERIZATION
ULTRAFAST OPTICAL
MICROSCOPE DEBUTS
University of Colorado Boulder
researchers recently demonstrated the
world’s first ultrafast optical micro-
scope, allowing them to probe and
visualize matter at the atomic level
with incredible speed. The ultrafast
microscope assembled by the research
team is 1000 times more powerful than
a conventional optical microscope,
says physics professor Markus Raschke.
The image frame rate is one trillion
times faster than the blink of an eye,
allowing researchers to make real-time,
slow-motion movies of light interacting
transport in soft matter, including
biological materials, say researchers.
.
PROCESS MONITORS
MATERIALS DURING
MANUFACTURING
The Energy Department’s National
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL),
Golden, Colo., was recently issued a pat-
ent for a novel method that rapidly char-
acterizes specialized materials during
the manufacturing process. According
to NREL scientists, this approach sig-
nificantly improves on standard quality
control techniques by allowing for com-
plete monitoring of materials without
interrupting workflow.
“This technique enables materi-
als manufacturers to detect potential
problems early without slowing or
stopping the manufacturing process,”
says Bhushan Sopori, inventor of the
On-line Monitoring in Solar Cell and
Fuel Cell Manufacturing technology.
Commercial use could benefit manu-
facturing of fuel cell components, semi-
conductor wafers, glass, and coatings.
The new method would likely have
the largest impact on reducing cost in
high-throughput environments, such as
roll-to-roll processing facilities, because
it can characterize materials at a speed
of tens of feet per minute, according to
the team.
Characterization of materials
using this method is accomplished
via wide-angular illumination on the
conveyor belt or roll-to-roll processing
with electrons in nanomaterials, in this
case a thin gold film.
“This is the first time anyone has
been able to probe matter on its nat-
ural time and length scale,” explains
Raschke. “We imaged and measured
the motions of electrons in real space
and time, and we were able to make it
into a movie to help us better under-
stand the fundamental physical pro-
cesses.” The team used a technique
called plasmonic nanofocusing to
focus extraordinarily short laser pulses
into tiny bits of gold film matter using
a nanometer-sized metal tip. Unlike
electron microscope approaches, the
new technique does not require ultra-
high vacuum techniques and is partic-
ularly promising for studying ultrafast
processes like charge and energy
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Tewks-
bury, Mass., acquired INEL Inc.,
France, a provider of real-time x-ray
diffraction systems. The business
will be integrated into Thermo
Fisher’s analytical instruments
segment. .
BRIEFS
Instron Corp., Norwood, Mass., celebrated its 70th anniversary on March
15. The company was established in 1946 by Harold Hindman and George
Burr, who were working together at the Massachusetts Institute of Tech-
nology to investigate suitable substitutes for silk that could be used in the
manufacture of parachutes. After discovering there was no testing machine
accurate enough to meet their requirements, the men designed a materi-
als testing instrument. The prototype was so successful that Instron was
formed. In 2005, it was acquired by ITW as the first company in their test
and measurement platform. .
Image captured by an ultrafast optical microscope shows clouds of electrons oscil-
lating in goldmaterial in space and time. Courtesy of University of Colorado Boulder.