I must geek out. I <3 Sum Frequency Generation! Now that’s out of the way, let me share some of my workspace with you reader. The work enviroment in chemistry research is often not that pleasant. It's ussally smelly and at times can be dangerous. My lab in a photochemistry research group involves the wonderful technique of Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. The laser lab can be a not so glamorous place. It's dark, cold, and draped in dark curtains, and if you look the wrong way you can put your eye out! But once the frequency doubling starts to happen, the laser starts to pulse, I fall in love! The room turns into a disco of sorts with a flashing green 532 nm laser pulsing at a romping 8 ns. It makes you want to put on some tunes while you measure your time constants.
Of course, with chemistry work comes some pretty pimp accessories. Like these amazing orange laser googles. Don't they go great with my new snap-button orange shirt. What do you think? Does it scream 600 nm?
What about my fellow scientists out there? Anybody get to work with some fun instrumentation? How do you dress for the laboratory?
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