Nanoscopic infrared imaging and spectroscopy of materials and physicochemical processes
Abstract
Deep understanding of condensed phase and surface properties requires resolving physical and chemical phenomena in spatial, spectral and temporal dimensions. While measurement technologies that achieve spectral and temporal resolutions have matured, spatial resolution of infrared microscopy has been limited to about 5000 nm by the diffraction property of electromagnetic radiation. In the visible spectral region, significant progress has been achieved in working around the diffraction limit and the development of super-resolution fluorescence microscopy has been recognized in 2014 Nobel Prize, 140 years after the Abbe diffraction limit was formulated. However, fluorescence microscopy is not applicable for analyzing large class of materials that do not fluoresce. Other techniques such as x-ray spectroscopies and electron microscopes provide chemical specific information, but they have drawbacks compared to optical spectroscopy. Scanning tunneling microscopy achieves atomic resolution but its application is limited to imaging monolayers of molecules assembled on conductive surfaces. The objective of this proposal is to develop integrated nanoscale chemical imaging and spectroscopy that builds on the analytical power of infrared absorption spectroscopy for investigating organic, inorganic and biological materials as well as physicochemical processes to advance projects currently funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. The proposed instrumentation includes nano-FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectroscopy and near-field imaging based on electromagnetic field localization at the tip of atomic force microscope to achieve spatial resolution on the order of 10 nm independent of excitation wavelength. The capability will enable chemical identification as well as two-dimensional mapping of chemical and optical heterogeneities in solid materials. The projects that will be advanced by the new capability include but not limited to real-space mapping of molecular doping, radiation damage and thermal effect; synergistic novel organic materials synthesis and modern optical characterization; interfacial properties in vapor-deposited organic interfaces; nanoscale analysis of ultra-thin infrared absorbers and photodetectors; analysis of nanoscale chemical heterogeneity in single Li-ion battery cathode particles; investigation of multiscale photonic materials for controlling broadband response; identification of membrane proteins; observation of strong coupling on individual plasmonic nanoantenna; and near-field analysis of multipole-engineered Mie-resonant metasurfaces. The capability will have transformational impact on the research quality and productivity in multiple research groups and provides training opportunities on advanced optical characterization technology for undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdoctoral researchers, while fostering collaborations with scientists at the Air Force Research Lab and Sandia National Labs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 06, 2024
- Source ID
- FA95502310379
Entities
People
- Terefe G Habteyes
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of New Mexico