My Colorful Summer in an FIU
Laser Lab and in the school
of engineering
By Richard Lizcano
Special thanks to FIU RET Program Coordinator: Dr. Masoud Milani
to AMO Physics Professor: Dr. Hebin Li
to Associate Director of Student Access and Success: Dr. Stephanie Strange
To Dr. Patrick Roman, to Laser Expert Dr. Feng Zhang and to Physics
Graduate Student: Michael Titze
RET PROGRAM
This is one of two tables in the Laser Lab where these very
powerful lasers are mounted on. The legs of these tables are
cylinders that provide a cushion of air which suspends this
massive table and makes it float in mid-air. Dr. Li
explained that this is necessary in order to create stability
for the proper alignment of the laser beams on the materials
being studied.
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• This is a Liquid Helium
Tank used to
freeze
materials being studied to
temperatures as low as 4K
(-269 degrees Celsius).
Freezing these samples is
necessary to increase their
luminescence and to study
their
properties
as
powerful laser beams are
focused on them.
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• This is an Optical
Spectrometer used to
analyze the wavelength
of the lasers used by
my Physical Science
students in their Optics
Labs. As you can see
the wavelength of this
red laser beam is 652.4
nm
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Dr. Hebin Li is the
FIU Professor who is
an expert on laser
technology (a true
scientist).
This picture shows
Dr. Li instructing me
on how to observe
the infrared laser
beam
with
an
infrared scope.
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In this slide Dr. Feng Zhang is
showing me a 2-D sample of
exfoliated MoS2 , very difficult
to observe. MoS2 is a
semiconductor that scientists
are now studying throughout
the world. In the laser lab Dr.
Hebin Li, Dr. Feng Zhang and
Michael,
one of Dr. Li’s
graduate
students
are
performing
studies
of
semiconductors like this one by
exposing these 2-D samples to
powerful laser beams to better
understand their properties.
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Here I’m trying to
locate 2-D sample of
exfoliated MoS2. I
spent almost four
hours trying to locate
this monolayer of
MoS2
and
was
unsuccessful.
Research scientists
have to be very
patient in order to
achieve their desired
results.
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Michael is one of Dr.
Hebin Li’s graduate
students. In two years
Michael will be an
optical engineer. He
was of great help in
the laser lab. Michael
explained to me the
advanced
investigations
that
they are engaging in.
Currently
he
is
studying monolayers
of MoSe2, which is a
semiconductor similar
to MoS2.
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Michael is showing me a chemical
Vapor Deposition (CVP) of a 2-D
MoSe2 sample. In the FIU Laser
Lab that Dr. Hebin Li is in charge of
Michael is studying the effects of
using the Pump and Probe method
on a 2D sample of MoSe2. A pump
beam which is created by a laser
optically excites the sample
inducing the electrons to go from
their ground state to their excited
state. Once the sample is in the
excited state the probe laser beam
will analyze the spectral
characteristics of the sample not
only in this excited state but also
when the sample decays, in other
words when the electrons go back
to the ground state.
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Once the 2D sample of
MoSe2 is in the excited
state the probe laser beam
will analyze the spectral
characteristics and this
will be observed.
Remember it is the motion
of electrons through this
semiconductor that give it
its electrical properties.
These
semiconductors
have great potential in
optoelectronics and are at
the
forefront
of
nanotechnology.
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Great Times in the Clean Room,
an unforgettable experience
with the microfabrication
process of Pressure Sensors
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THE 3-D PRINTER LAB
This is where Juan does his magic. Top left: you
are witnessing the printing of a Human Aorta.
Top right: you can observe all of the devices that
were printed by these 3-D printers.
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 Top Left: Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)
 Middle: Picture of the preparation of samples in plasma state (gold cylinder)
 Top Right: Opening where the mounted sample will be introduced
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 Top Left: Human Kidney Stone Calcifications (SEM)
 Middle: Insect Skin and Hairs (SEM)
 Bottom Right: Insect Eyes (SEM)
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I end my journey by getting out of a car on the third
floor of the FIU Engineering building. How did we get
all the way up here? Come visit FIU and find out.