Ultra-thin Si3N4 membranes as exit windows for tunable microplasma-based vacuum ultraviolet photon sources

• Applicant: Dr. Luka Hansen
• Subject Area: Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 561566288

The aim of this project is to utilize an ultra-thin Si3N4 membrane as an exit window of a tunable vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) atmospheric pressure microplasma source capable of producing photons with energies up to 21.2 eV (58.4 nm). The stability of the membranes and the proper design of the microplasma source are the key challenges and will be addressed in this project. Moreover, an absolutely calibrated VUV spectrometer suitable for atmospheric pressure plasmas and a better understanding of the plasma species and/or VUV photon interaction with the ultra-thin Si3N4 membrane will be provided. As a prime example for the applications of such a novel VUV photon source, it will be implemented as ionizing device in a molecular beam mass spectrometer system to overcome the current drawbacks of other ionization methods.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants