About The Bieske Group

Our group uses laser spectroscopy to investigate a variety of charged particles, complexes and clusters in the gas phase. Our two current projects are outlined below.

Ion Cluster Spectroscopy

We employ novel forms of infrared spectroscopy to explore the properties of charged complexes and clusters in the gas-phase. The ultimate goal is to understand the interaction between ions and neutral molecules. We have studied a variety of small clusters consisting of a halide anion (F–, Cl–, Br–, I–) "solvated" by one or several neutral molecules (H2, CH4, C2H2, C6H6), and more recently, complexes containing metal cations including, Li+-H2, Al+-H2 and Al+-(CH4)n.

Trapped Nanoparticles

Micro- and nano-particles are contained in a quadrupole ion trap and probed using laser-based techniques. The aim is to characterize small particles in the gas-phase where they are unperturbed by interactions with solvent or substrate. By monitoring scattered laser light it is possible to measure the mass and charge of particles having diameters in the 0.5-10 µm range, and to follow changes in the particle's size and shape.