Novel Multi-Photon Fluorescence and Raman Near-Field Optical Microscope: A Versatile Sub-20nm Optical Resolution Spectroscopic Tool for Biological Applications

该奖项是为开发一种预期光学空间分辨率低于20纳米并具有同步地形信息的仪器而颁发的。该仪器还将拥有多种检测电子状态和振动键信息的方法，用于单分子鉴定。显微镜在溶液中成像的能力将是独一无二的。该显微镜可以在不改变滤光片或激发波长的情况下，对几乎任何可见发色团的荧光进行成像，这一方面将极大地简化光学系统。这一拟议的仪器将改进目前NSOM的标称75 nm分辨率极限，使其能够在生物友好的环境中识别单个紧密堆积的蛋白质。该仪器的多功能性将允许分析超过本建议所述的生物样本。PI和合作者建造的原型已经在低于25 nm的空间光学分辨率下成像了碳单壁纳米管(SWNT)以及新型聚合物系统。该仪器可以很容易地用于材料科学，分析半导体导线和其他纳米尺度的一维和二维无机材料的结构，以及纳米学的信号检测改进方案。在开发过程中，该仪器还将具有聚集数学(建模)、生物、物理、化学和电气工程研究人员的额外好处。发展尖端NSOM仪器所需的广泛理解也将使学生受益，教会他们非常强大的技术技能、跨学科培训以及将不同领域结合在一起回答重要科学问题的能力。建成后，这台显微镜将可用于回答其他生物和材料研究问题，并将有商业可能性。

This award is for the development of an instrument with an anticipated optical spatial resolution below 20 nm and with simultaneous topographical information. The instrument will also have multiple methods of detection of both electronic state and vibrational bond information for single-molecule identification. The microscope's ability to image in solution with these capabilities will be unique. The microscope will image the fluorescence from almost any visible chromophore without changing filters or excitation wavelength, an aspect that will dramatically simplify the optical system. This proposed instrument will improve upon the nominal 75 nm resolution limit of today's NSOMs to a level that will allow identification of individual closely packed proteins in a biologically friendly environment. The versatility of the instrument will permit analyzing more than the biological samples described within this proposal. Prototypes built by the PI and collaborators have imaged carbon single walled nanotubes (SWNT) as well as novel polymer systems at sub 25 nm spatial optical resolutions. The proposed instrument can easily be adapted for use in materials science for analyzing structures of semiconductor wires and other inorganic 1-D and 2-D materials on the nanoscale, as well as signal detection improvement schemes for nanometrology.In the process of development, the proposed instrument will have the added benefit of bringing together researchers in mathematics (modeling), biology, physics, chemistry, and electrical engineering. The broad understanding necessary to develop cutting edge NSOM instrumentation will benefit students as well by teaching them very strong technical skills, cross-disciplinary training, and the ability to bring different fields together to answer important scientific questions. After completion this microscope will be available to answer other biological and materials research questions, and there will be commercial possibilities.