Second harmonic generation as a method for probing order in crystalline systems
Abstract
Second harmonic generation (SHG) has emerged as a technique with promise for analysis niches currently underserved by traditional linear techniques. Its innate selection rules make SHG an ideal candidate for analyses exploring the arrangement of ordered crystalline systems. SHG was developed as a tool for evaluating crystalline structure in three different systems. The three systems examined were small molecules, protein and photonic crystals. Novel methods and instrumentation are described that facilitated the first direct observation of Ostwald's Rule in the crystallization of a small organic molecule. Areas of differing order within a protein crystal are separated from one another using SHG as a non-perturbative probe compatible with x-ray crystallography structural determination. Regions where discontinuities were likely to be present were identified in photonic crystals with possible application in small volume separations. Future studies will continue to and build on the studies presented here.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Simpson, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Analytical chemistry
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