The Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter (LRSM)

FACILITIES

Optical Imaging and Micromanipulation

The center is a facility equipped with a wide array of optical microscopy and micro-manipulation systems to meet the needs of structural, dynamical and material characterization of soft matter, including colloids, emulsions, vesicles, liquid crystals and biomolecular materials. The facility contains:

• Five optical microscopes equipped with high resolution digital video acquisition systems capable of bright field, phase contrast, high speed, and fluorescence microscopy.
   
• Three high-speed confocal setups, which can be used to study three-dimensional structure of materials, and biomolecular samples.
   
• One holographic tweezer system based on a Zeiss Axiovert 135 employs focused laser beams to manipulate microscopic objects. A spatial light modulator can generate complex patterns, and enables three-dimensional manipulation.  

In addition to microscopy, the center provides other supporting optics equipment that is useful for characterization of soft materials. In particular, the center hosts a laser light scattering apparatus which is useful for angle-resolved static light scattering and photon correlation spectroscopy (i.e. quasi-elastic or dynamic light scattering spectroscopy).

EQUIPMENT:

Leica DMRX

Upright light microscope, capable of bright field, dark field, polarization, phase contrast, fluorescence, differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy, translational stage with position reader, and objective temperature control.

Leica DMIR13/VT-Eye Confocal

Inverted light microscope, capable of bright field, dark field, polarization, phase contrast, fluorescence microscopy, with objective temperature control. This microscope is attached to a VisiTech 'VT-Eye' confocal setup

VisiTech 'VT-Eye'
30 images per second (512 x 512 pixels); up to 400 images/s for reduced field of  view
Ultra-fast 3D acquisition: 256 x 256 x 100 pixel 3D image, 1 per second
Z-scan up to 400 microns with 100 nm resolution
Multi- wavelength excitation laser, 488, 514 and 568 nm
VoxCell software for easy control and data management

Zeiss Axiovert 135/Optical Tweezer

Inverted light microscope, capable of bright field, dark field, polarization, phase contrast, fluorescence microscopy with objective temperature control. This microscope is attached to a holographic tweezer setup with spatial light modulator (SLM), capable of generating complex patterns at up to 60 frames per second with 1064 nm infrared laser

Leica DMRX A2/Spinning Disk Confocal

Upright light microscope, capable of bright field, dark field, polarization, DIC, and fluorescence contrast, fully automated with motorized stage (all three dimensions), and objective temperature control.  Equipped with Visitech QLC-100 Spinning Disk Confocal setup for confocal imaging with excitation wavelength of 532nm, from external CrystaLaser diode pumped crystal laser source. MetaMorph software for control and data management.

Nikon Eclipse 200/Confocal VT Eye

Inverted light microscope, capable of fluorescence microscopy.
This microscope is attached to a VisiTech 'VT-Eye' confocal setup, and Bohlin Gemini rheometer (Rheology Center)

VisiTech 'VT-Eye'
30 images per second (512 x 512 pixels); up to 400 images/s for reduced field of  view
Ultra-fast 3D acquisition: 256 x 256 x 100 pixel 3D image, 1 per second
Z-scan up to 100 microns with 100 nm resolution
Multi- wavelength excitation laser, at 488, 569 and 633 nm
Reflection mode capability
VoxCell software for easy control and data management

Light scattering facility

Brookhaven Instruments, BI-200SM
Capable of averaging, time-integrated intensity (classical), and intensity fluctuations (Quasi-elastic) light scattering measurements, temperature control from 5 ˚C to 80 ˚C with stability of ±0.1 ˚C, angle selection with 0.01˚ steps.

Cameras

The center has a wide array of digital video cameras including:

• Hitachi KP-M1U monochrome CCD camera
• Hitachi KP-M1AN monochrome CCD camera
• Hitachi KP-M1AN monochrome CCD camera
• Hitachi KP-D50 color CCD camera
• Princeton Instruments V/ICCD 774-P EIA/I, monochrome CCD camera, cooled.
• Basler A504K, monochrome high speed camera, 500 fps at 1280×1024pixel, and higher frame rate at reduced field of view.
• Qimaging Retiga monochrome CCD camera, 1300 x 1030 pixels, cooled, up to 4x4 binning, 12 bit