US-Mexico International Collaborative Program on Photothermal Imaging and Photothermal Microscopy

特拉华州州立大学光学科学与应用研究与教育中心（CREOSA），响应OISE征求NSF 11-508，催化新的国际合作（CNIC），被授予资金，以支持计划访问墨西哥。这些旅行促进了与墨西哥城国家理工学院（INP-Mexico）的应用和技术研究中心（CICATA）的新研究合作。合作研究的主题是光热红外和可见光成像的发展，特别是纳米系统的近场显微镜。 光热成像为高分辨率显微镜提供了一种有趣的方法，因为它提供了高灵敏度和无散射的图像采集，用于无损检测。CICATA的专业知识和实验设施是对CREOSA的补充。这两个中心都强调学生教育和工业技术转让。该奖项支持来自特拉华州的学生访问墨西哥的实验室以启动合作，墨西哥学生随后将访问CREOSA以加强合作伙伴关系。此次计划访问旨在建立一个国际研究合作，可以贡献新的实验技术，以克服纳米结构（包括生物和生理系统）无损成像中的散射问题，从而提供更清晰、高分辨率的图像。 新的和改进的成像技术可以在医疗应用中产生广泛的影响，并支持对新材料的研究。拟议的计划将积极参与学生在最初的规划和探索活动，以及在随后的联合研究。特拉华州州立大学是HBCU，因此该计划将有助于增强研究界的多样性。

The Delaware State University Center for Research and Education in Optical Sciences and Applications (CREOSA), in response to OISE Solicitation NSF 11-508, Catalyzing New International Collaborations (CNIC), is awarded funding to support planning visits to Mexico. The trips facilitate a new research collaboration with the Centro de Investigacion en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnologia Avanzada (CICATA) at the Instituto Politecnico Nacional (INP-Mexico) in Mexico City. The subject of the collaborative research is the development of photothermal infrared and visible imaging and especially near-field microscopy for nanometric systems. Photothermal imaging offers an interesting approach to high-resolution microscopy because it offers high sensitivity with scatter-free image acquisition for non-destructive testing. The expertise and experimental facilities at CICATA complement those of CREOSA. Both Centers emphasize student education and industrial technology transfer. This award supports students from Delaware to visit the laboratory in Mexico to initiate the collaborations, and Mexican students will subsequently visit CREOSA to strengthen the partnership.This planning visit aims to establish an international research collaboration that can contribute new experimental techniques required to overcome scattering problems in the non-destructive imaging of nanoscale structures, including biological and physiological systems, and thus to provide cleaner, high-resolution images. New and improved imaging technology can have broad impact in medical applications as well as supporting research on new materials. The proposed program will actively involve students in both the initial planning and exploratory activities as well as in the subsequent joint research. Delaware State University is an HBCU so the program will contribute to enhanced diversity in the research community.