Condensed phase studies at the THz/Far-IR beamline at the Australian Synchrotron

Abstract

The THz/Far-IR beamline at the Australian Synchrotron is coupled to a Bruker IFS125HR FT spectrometer equipped with a variety of optical components which can cover the spectral range from 5 to 5000 cm-1. Experiments from a variety of fields such as atmospheric and astrophysical science, geology, electrochemistry, nano-materials as well as biology have been successfully conducted at the beamline. There is a range of instruments to accommodate the diverse requirements of the User community. For gas-phase experiments, the beamline is equipped with multiple-pass optics gas-cells: one of which can be coupled to a furnace to study reactive species, while another can be cooled to liquid nitrogen or helium temperatures to study aerosols and cold gases. Users also have access to a couple of cryostats (one > 79 K, the other > 6 K), a grazing incidence angle optical setup and a near-normal accessory to study condensed phase systems, thin films and surface interactions. The synchrotron infrared light offers a S/N advantage over conventional thermal sources, but this advantage varies to a great degree upon the spectral range, sample size and resolution dictated by the application. In this paper, the capabilities and performance of the THz/Far-IR beamline at the Australian Synchrotron will be presented as well as some applications undertaken at the beamline, and future developments.