Facilities

Bruker X-band cw spectrometer

The cw workhorse of the group, almost every sample sees this machine first. Operating almost 24/7.
• Bruker ElexSys E500 @9.6 GHz
• Bruker digital upgrade
• Temperature range 3K-500K
• cw-EPR and cw-ENDOR

Home-built Ultra-wideband pulsed X/Q-band EPR spectrometer

Developed specificially for ultrawide-band and method development application, this spectrometer has a 5GHz analog bandwidth, and a highly flexible MATLAB based control software allowing complete control. Operates at both X-band and Q-band.
• Agilent M8190 12 GS/s AWG & SP Devices (ADQ32) 4 GS/s digitizer
• Magnetic field up to 1.5 T & Temperature range 4 K-300 K
• 1 kW power at X-band, 200 W at Q-band

Home-built AWG based pulsed X/Q-band EPR spectrometer with ENDOR & NMR

A second version of our ultrawide-band platform that has recently been upgraded to Q-band. This spectrometer is equipped with an Opencore NMR console, allowing for simulatenous EPR & NMR detection. ENDOR capabilities were added with an additional AWG of lower sampling rate.
• Agilent M8190 12 GSa/s AWG & SP Devices (ADQ7) 10 GS/s digitizer
• Zurich Instruments 2.4 GSa/s AWG with 500 W rf Amplifier
• Opencore NMR console
• Magnetic field up to 1.5 T
• Cryogenic cryofree cryostat with a temperature range 2.0 K-300 K
• 1 kW power at X band, 100 W at Q band

Bruker E580 X/Q-band pulse/cw spectrometer

Our workhorse commercial Q-band spectrometer. The combination of high mw-power and oversized 3mm resonators results in a very high sensitivity, ideal for studying complicated DEER samples. It is also used regularly for Q-band CW and ENDOR measurements.

• Bruker ElexSys-II E580 @9.7GHz, 34 GHz
• magnetic field up to 1.5 T
• ENDOR and ELDOR capability,
• Cryogenic cryofree cryostat with a temperature range 2.0 K-300 K
• 1 kW power at X band, 150 W at Q band

Bruker E680 X/W-band pulse/cw spectrometer

When g resolution matters, only very small amounts of sample or many heteronuclei contribute to hyperfine spectra, high-field/high-frequency EPR is the method of choice. A homebuilt upgrade for the W-band bridge allows for increased power. An X-band magnet is also connected and is regularly used for both pulse and cw measurements.

• Bruker ElexSys E680 @9.7GHz, 95 GHz
• Superconducting W-band magnet, sweepable 0-6T
• X-band magnet, sweepable 0-1.0T
• ENDOR and ELDOR capability
• Temperature range 4.5 K-300 K
• 2 W mw power at 95 GHz
• 1 kW mw power at 10 GHz

Bruker EMX X-band cw spectrometer

Setup specifically for in-situ/operando catalysis research. This spectrometer is equipped with a home-built high temperature resonator. A gas flow setup allows for reaction monitoring in batch or under flow, at high temperature, high pressure and in vacuum. The gas flows are controlled by mass flow controllers with the implementation of automated gas pulses enabling modulated excitation spectroscopy. Additionally, the simultaneous acquisition of EPR spectra and changes in conductivity by monitoring the off-resonance Q factor is possible.
• Bruker EMX @9.7GHz
• Xenon 1.2 software
• Temperature range 300 K - 800 K
• Pressure vacuum – 10 bar

Bruker EMX X-band cw spectrometer

Students are introduced to this spectrometer as part of their physical-chemistry practical course. This spectrometer can also be equiped with a high temperature resonator and is used for in-situ catalysis.
• Bruker EMX @9.7GHz
• WinEPR software
• Temperature range 300 K-800 K

Home-built Q-band spectrometer

Although now somewhat dated, this high-power Q-band spectrometer remains a reliable and highly sensitive workhorse for distance distribution measurements between nitroxide or Gd(III) labels. Its fully manual and open bridge design facilitates hands-on teaching for new students, while the Bruker E580 console ensures seamless pulse generation and detection.
• Pulse EPR, pulse ENDOR and ELDOR @34.0-36.0 GHz
• 200 W microwave power
• Temperature Range 4.0K-300K
• Bruker ElexSys acquisition system (E580)

Home-built Ka-band/S-band spectrometer (under construction)

Our latest spectrometer development. Primarily developed for automated DEER spectroscopy this spectrometer has been equiped with a low cost solid state power amplifier (30W). The first upconversion stage (3-4GHz) is used for S-Band CW.
• Pulse EPR @30.0-31.0 GHz
• CW EPR @ TBD
• Spectrum Instrumentation (1.25GSa/s) AWG, with a SP devices ADQ32 (2.5GSa/s) digitiser
• Zurich Instruments MFLI (5MHz) Lock-In amplfier
• 30 W microwave power
• Temperature Range 4.0K-300K