Engineering Research Equipment: Ultrafast Laser System for Microscale Radiation Transport Studies

An award has been made toward the purchase of a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser system. The equipment will be utilized in support of innovative research addressing emerging nanotechnology and bioimaging applications. Specifically, the requested equipment is necessary for the proposed experiments in developing a subsurface imaging method with temporal log-slope analysis for noninvasive detection of small breast tumors, a two-photon fluorescence microscopy system for investigation of drug delivery and oxidative stress in skins, and a nanoscale sensing system for time-resolved detection of adsorption or attachment of nanoscopic entities to a surface. The subsurface imaging method is original and does not require complicated inverse design. The study is aimed at enabling real time clinical use of diffuse optical tomography. The broad impacts of the proposed research include a boost to interdisciplinary research at Rutgers and the development of capabilities of the PI in several emerging areas, including biotechnology. The laser system will enhance a collaborative arrangement that has been established with Bell Labs. The equipment will also be very useful for the training of graduate students in the operation and applications of state-of-the-art ultrafast laser systems, and for introducing undergraduate students to interdisciplinary topics of research. It is also a valuable addition to the research infrastructure at Rutgers University.