Facilities

Information and details about our laboratories.

Optics laboratory

Our main fluorescence spectrometer is a J-Y Fluorolog that permits measurement over a range of 200 to 1500 nm and offers time-correlated single photon counting for lifetime measurements. An RMC-22 closed cycle refrigerator permits measurements down to 12K.

We also have a PerkinElmer LS-5B and a PerkinElmer LS 55 spectrofluorimeter. These instruments offer modest resolution (2.5 nm), pulsed excitation over the range 200 - 800 nm, and emission over the range 200 - 750 nm.

For optical absorption spectroscopy, we have a Shimadzu UV-2100 (an earlier version of the Shimadzu UV-3101) double beam spectrometer for ultraviolet (UV) and visible work. We also have access to a range of other UV/visible and infra-red instruments including a Cary 100 UV/visible spectrometer, a PerkinElmer Spectrum One Fourier transform infra-red spectrometer, and a Bruker Tensor 27 infra-red spectrometer.

Thermal analysis laboratory

We have a TA DSC Q100 differential scanning calorimeter which can operate from -130 to 600˚C. This instrument is primarily used for glass thermal analysis.

We also have a TA Q600 thermogravimetric analyser which operates between room temperature and 1500˚C. This instrument is mainly used for thermal analysis associated with the materials preparation aspects of our work. A mass-spectrum analyser is available for analysing exhaust gases from the TA Q600.

Sample preparation laboratory

We have dry-box facilities for preparing hygroscopic samples. Attached to the dry-box is a conventional furnace (20–1000°C) and a radio frequency induction furnace (Ameritherm) which both operate with atmospheres of nitrogen or argon. We also have various annealing furnaces, cutting and polishing facilities, and ball mills and a draw-bar coater for powder and screen preparation respectively. We have high temperature oven up to 1500°C as well as access to XRD and electron microscope facilities.

Irradiation and diffraction

We use a Phillips PW 1720 and PW 1730 x-ray generator and a Faxitron 43855A x-ray cabinet for x-irradiations, with a maximum irradiation energy of 55 kV. We also have a de Götzen X-Genus dental x-ray set which provides 70 kV x-rays and a Golden Engineering XR150 portable x-ray generator which produces 150 kV pulses. MV x-ray sources are available at Wellington Hospital.

Gamma irradiations from 60Co and other radio-nuclide sources are provided by our colleagues at GNS Science.

We have access to a PANalytical X'Pert Pro Multi Purpose Diffractometer and to electron diffraction on JEOL TEM and SEM instruments in the electron microscope suite.

Facilities at Callaghan Innovation

We have access to a range of experimental facilities at Callaghan Innovation.