Research Facilities

Both the physics and chemistry departments are among the small number at Ohio State that have been designated as Centers of Excellence by the University. This honor represents the University's continued commitment to the research goals of these departments.

Spectroscopy lies at the heart of chemical physics, and Ohio State has an extensive array of spectroscopic instrumentation. The Laser Spectroscopy Facility together with various individual laboratories provide over two dozen complete laser systems. These systems allow you to work within the entire span of the spectrum--from the far infrared to the vacuum ultraviolet--and with continuous beams down to pulses of only a few femtoseconds in duration. Each of these systems is supplemented with the diagnostic tools and data-collecting instruments necessary for performing spectroscopic research, and many can be combined for multilaser experiments.

We also have major facilities for mass spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and electron paramagnetic resonance. Many of these facilities are located in our Chemical Instrumentation Center. Additional instruments, including electron microscopes and Fourier transform spectrometers, and surface analytic tools (such as X-ray photoemission spectroscopy) are available. The Center for Materials Research brings together faculty and students from 10 departments and three colleges. These centers of instrumentation make it easy for us to bring an entire array of techniques to bear on specific research problems.

Many of these facilities are staffed by professional technicians who can help you set up and use the equipment. Ohio State is privileged to be the site of the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC), an interdisciplinary, state-wide center for supercomputer research.

The OSC's capability is the capstone of our extensive computer system. We have microcomputers in nearly every lab. The chemistry and physics department are both equipped with extensive computer networks which link computers to the University network and the internet. Not only does the OSC offer state-of-the-art computing facilities, it also provides expert help and instructions into their use.

Professional support staff include machinists, glassblowers, and electronic design engineers. Student shops, where small items can be made quickly, are also well supported and supervised. Shop courses and electronics laboratories are available to give students the necessary skills.

Research activity extends well beyond the walls of the laboratory. The University maintains a Science and Engineering Library. The fully computerized, university system allows you rapid access to the location and availability of books, periodicals, and audiovisuals and provides convenient loans of materials anywhere in Ohio via Ohiolink, as well as full text access to most journal articles.

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