Vaida Lab

The Vaida’s research group focuses on understanding the mechanisms of catalytic, photocatalytic, and photoinduced reactions by monitoring the ultrafast dynamics of intermediate species and final products with time-, mass-, and energy resolution.

Location

Vaida’s laboratories are located on the 1st and 2nd floors of Research 1 Building at the University of Central Florida.

Lab Size

Total area of 850 ft²

Equipment

  • Custom-made ultrahigh vacuum surface science chamber equipped with standard tools for surface preparation and characterization, such as (i) Ar+ sputtering gun, (ii) dual-pocket electron beam evaporator, (iii) a three-cell thermal evaporator, (iv) low electron energy diffraction device and Auger electron spectrometer, (v) quadrupole mass spectrometer, and (vi) time-of-flight mass-photoelectron spectrometer.
  • Commercial amplified fs laser system
  • Homebuilt table-top tabletop high-order harmonics light source coupled to a vacuum ultraviolet - extreme ultraviolet monochromator
  • Homebuilt second-third harmonic generator
  • Laser diagnostic equipment: (i) single shoot autocorrelator, (ii) power meters, and (iii) optical spectrometer
  • Fume hood
  • Optical microscopes
  • Homebuilt setup for catalytic and photocatalytic investigations at ambient pressure and temperature.

More Information

Mihai E. Vaida
Principal Investigator
Department of Physics
University of Central Florida
4353 Scorpius Street
Research 1 Bldg. 167
Orlando, FL 32816
Phone: 407-823-4213
https://sciences.ucf.edu/physics/vaidalab/