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

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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.