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Infrared Program

The Infrared (IR) Program manages and operates three infrared beamlines at the ALS to analyze a variety of hard- and soft-matter materials at the micro- and nanoscale.  Synchrotron IR radiation spans the far-, mid-, and near-IR and is 100–1000 times brighter than a conventional thermal source, enabling broadband spectroscopic imaging with high signal-to-noise ratios at the diffraction limit (synchrotron IR micro-spectroscopy) and well beyond the diffraction limit (synchrotron IR nano-spectroscopy). By probing molecular and lattice vibrations, low-energy electronic excitations, and related collective plasmon and phonon resonances, the high spatial resolution of synchrotron IR spectroscopy enables measurements of heterogeneity in engineered and natural/living samples found in materials science, physics, chemistry, environmental science, biology, and medicine. Our IR micro-spectroscopy endstations have a wavelength-dependent spatial resolution of 2–10 µm in the mid-IR range, and our IR nano-spectroscopy endstations have a wavelength-independent spatial resolution of less than 25 nm.

Beamlines

  • Beamline 1.4 — Infrared Microspectroscopy
  • Beamline 2.4 — Synchrotron Infrared Nanospectroscopy (SINS) and Imaging
  • Beamline 5.4 — Synchrotron Infrared Nanospectroscopy (SINS) and Microspectroscopy

Personnel

ALS Staff

Hans Bechtel

Staff Scientist, Program Lead

Stephanie Gilbert Corder

Research Scientist

Doctoral and Postdoctoral Researchers

  • Aleksandr (Sasha) Razumtcev
    ALS Doctoral Fellow (2022- ), Purdue University

  • Zixuan Li
    Postdoctoral Researcher (2022- )

  • Jonathan Larson
    Postdoctoral Researcher (2018- ), Energy Storage & Distributed Resources Division, Berkeley Lab
    Characterization of interfaces and interphases in electrical energy storage systems with advanced optical and x-ray probes

  • Lila Lovergne
    Postdoctoral Researcher (2018- ), Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Berkeley Lab
    Determining cellular disease progression with infrared spectroscopic imaging

Program Alumni

  • Clayton Casper
    DOE SCGSR Doctoral Fellow (2020-2021), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  • Ziheng Yao
    ALS Doctoral Fellow (2018-2021), Stony Brook University

  • Jennifer Nill
    ALS Doctoral Fellow (2018-2019), UC Davis

  • Lars Hellberg, Senior Lecturer, Chalmers University of Technology
    Visiting Researcher (2018)

  • Mike Martin, Senior Staff Scientist, ALS Photon Science Operations Group Lead
    Infrared Program Lead (1997-2018)

  • Omar Khatib, Visiting Researcher, Duke University
    ALS Postdoctoral Scholar (2015-2017)

  • Thomas Knight, High School Science Teacher
    Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education (IISME) Program (1999, 2013)

  • Ferenc Borondics, Principal Beamline Scientist, Synchrotron Soleil
    Postdoctoral Researcher (2007-2010)

  • Zhiqiang Li, Professor, College of Physical Science and Technology, Sichuan University
    ALS Doctoral Fellow (2006-2007)

  • Zhao Hao, Scientific Engineering Associate, Berkeley Lab
    Scientific Engineering Associate (2005-2007), Postdoctoral Fellow (2003-2005)

  • Philippe Lerch, Infrared Beamline, Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institute
    Visiting Scientist (2005-2006)

  • Wayne McKinney, Adjunct Professor of Astronomy, Diablo Valley College
    Staff Scientist (1995-2005)

  • Jason Singley, Professor, Dean College of Science, CSU East Bay
    Postdoctoral Scholar (2002-2003)

  • Carol Hirschmugl, Professor, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
    Postdoctoral Fellow (1996-1997)