S. Mookherjea, University of California, San Diego
Intellectual merit The goal of the proposed program is to advance IR near-field spectro-microscopy for experiments at the nanoscale through the development of a Scattering Scanning Nearfield Infrared Microscope (S-SNIM). Since many fundamental properties of matter have characteristic energy scales falling in the near and mid-infrared "fingerprint" energy range, infrared spectro-microscopy is one of the most widespread analytical techniques and is routinely employed in such diverse areas as national security, forensics, most of the natural sciences, art history, materials science and engineering. Therefore, an instrument that permits accurate mid-IR spectroscopic and microscopic measurements at the nanoscale will offer nearly universal means for detection of molecular substances and provide unique insights into elementary excitations in solids. The proposed S-SNIM will enable spectroscopy and imaging in the near/mid-IR region at cryogenic temperatures with spatial resolution down to 10 nanometers.
Broader impact: The proposed instrumentation will significantly impact the research infrastructures at the local, regional, and national levels. Locally, more than 25 grad students and researchers affiliated with 9 research groups at UCSD will enhance their training and research. Regionally, a number of industrial partners will gain access to the micro-spectroscopy instrument. Nationally, the proposed instrumentation will reduce burden on oversubscribed synchrotron beamlines at national laboratories, whereas the commercialization of these instruments in collaboration with Agilent and industrial partners will help to maintain the US leadership in manufacturing state-of-the-art instrumentation for probing matter at the nanoscale. Educational activities include development of a new special-topics course, opportunities for interdisciplinary education and training of underrepresented groups. This latter involves outreach to middle and high school students at the UCSD Preuss School, recruitment and mentoring of graduate students and post-doctoral scholars, as well as of undergraduates in conjunction with CAMP: California Alliance for Minority Participation.
