1). Optical Spectroscopy Laboratory

The RTH lab has a state-of-the art, micro-focused Raman spectroscopy system.

Spec:

532 nm and 660 nm Laser Quantum Torus laser.

Princeton Instruments IsoPlane SCT320 spectrometer.

Princeton Instruments PyLoN 1340 x 100 CCD.

Laser micro machining system with pulsed fiber laser.

3D Printer.

2). Hydrogen Studies

As the simplest and most abundant element in the universe, the understanding of hydrogen is vital to multidisciplinary fields in physics. Specifically, the high-pressure behavior of hydrogen is of the utmost importance in the understanding of simple molecules under pressure. How the material behaves under pressure will also have important implications for reaching inertial confinement fusion (ICF) conditions and for planetary modeling, as hydrogen is the primary constituent in Jovian planets. A long outstanding challenge of condensed matter physics is the production of metallic hydrogen in the experimental laboratory.

A main objective of the RTH lab is to study molecular hydrogen (and deuterium) and explore conditions at which this predicted insulator to metallic transition could happen.

3). Synthesis of Novel Compounds

The application of high pressure provides a simple route to the synthesis of new compounds initiating chemical processes that would not happen otherwise, thus opening a new dimension for smart design and synthesis of the novel materials with potentially interesting properties.