Project description
Soft-field spectroscopy solution and protocol
The increasing dependence on electronic technologies and devices, along with the benefits and advantages they offer across a wide range of tasks, has made them key to many breakthroughs and insights. Processes such as catalysis, charge transport in optoelectronic devices and solar energy harvesting have much to gain from the real-time interrogation of molecular electronics at the interface between different media. Unfortunately, technological and methodological limitations have hindered our ability to investigate these processes precisely. The ERC-funded SoftMeter project will develop a multi-messenger two-colour spectroscopy solution that will overcome current challenges and limitations, providing significantly improved spatiotemporal resolution. Finally, the project will demonstrate and test this solution through several innovative ultrafast laser spectroscopy experiments.
Objective
The real-time interrogation of molecular electronics at the interface between different media is key to understanding the fundamental mechanisms at the basis of processes such as catalysis, solar energy harvesting, and charge transport in optoelectronic devices. Such an investigation ultimately requires attosecond temporal resolution and picometer spatial accuracy, to capture in real-time the energy exchanges mediated by the electron wave function and the competing structural changes of the target. Experimental strong-field-laser physics has been demonstrated to provide outstanding spectroscopical methods for this purpose, such as high-harmonic generation spectroscopy, attosecond science, and laser-induced electron diffraction. However, it also presents intrinsic limitations such as high peak intensities, low efficiency, and poor tunability. These obstacles have so far hindered its application to the study of high-complexity systems, for example complex interfaces.
SoftMeter aims at filling this gap. We are proposing a novel multi-messenger two-color spectroscopy, namely soft-field spectroscopy, that converts the concepts of strong-field physics into the moderate or weak field regime and overcomes its limitations, while still providing an unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution. The new protocol will be developed in the first phase of the project: It is based on an interferometric setup combining few-fs ultraviolet pulses with few-cycle IR pulses, and on the multi-messenger measurement of the laser-induced electron diffraction and the high-harmonic radiation of the target. In the second phase of the project, the novel soft-field scheme will be employed for the real-time interrogation of electronics at molecular interfaces.
SoftMeter will pave the way for a new class of ultrafast laser spectroscopy experiments, with a large impact on several disciplines, ranging from photo-chemistry to biology, as well as from energetics to environmental science.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences chemical sciences physical chemistry photochemistry
- natural sciences chemical sciences catalysis
- natural sciences physical sciences optics laser physics
- natural sciences physical sciences optics spectroscopy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2022-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
22607 Hamburg
Germany
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