Ricerc@Sapienza

The FTIR spectrometer recently was granted in the frame context of Medium and Large-sized Scientific Equipment Sapienza Research Calls. The possibility to use different detector (MCT and DTGS) along with suitable long-IR optics (K-Br and T-240 beam splitters) allow to investigate very wide wavelength range. Specifically, the standard spectral range covers 8000 to 350cm-1 with option for spectral range extension (from 6,00-80cm-1) (T-240 wide-range beamsplitter instead of standard KBr beamsplitter). Furthermore, DTGS next generation IR detectors allow a spectral resolution of better than 0.3 cm-1 to accurately resolve sharp spectral resonances. The FTIR Invenio platform is equipped with a reflectance unit allowing to set the angles of incidence and reflectance, from almost normal incidence (about 10°) to glazing angles (85°) so to investigate sample under very different conditions. Polarization state of both incident and reflected light can be selected using a couple of holographic polarizing filter with motorized mounters. In order to test surface waves (SWs), Otto configuration will be setup using a high index (ZnSe) hemisphere coupling experiment along with suitable sample holder. By rotating both incidence angle of incoming beam as well as sample azimuthal angle, it will be possible to map k-vectors along two main directions in order to highlight the excitement of SWs.

The experimental setups also support controlled heating and cooling of samples using a sample holder (Peltier module) allowing temperature to be set between 10° and 300°C in order to characterize sample's spectral features under different thermal regimes.