Project Grant 2603267

The National Science Foundation Division of Chemistry awarded $480,527 to The Research Foundation for the State University of New York, operating as Stony Brook University, on August 15, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to develop atomic force microscope-based photothermal two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy (AFM-2DIR).

The research combines atomic force microscopy's high spatial resolution with two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy's molecular coupling and energy-transfer capabilities. Conventional infrared methods focus light to several-micrometer spots; AFM-2DIR confines infrared light beneath a metal-coated tip to ten-to-twenty-nanometer regions, enabling study of molecules at surfaces and interfaces previously inaccessible. The method will detect samples' photothermal response to femtosecond mid-infrared pulses under AFM tip field enhancement, extending nanoscale infrared microscopy from linear absorption into time-domain multidimensional spectroscopy. The work pursues three aims: developing a numerical framework for photothermal 2D-IR signals using density matrix propagation through the Liouville equation in Lindblad form to guide spectral interpretation and phase-cycling design; integrating femtosecond IR pulse sequences with AFM instrumentation; and demonstrating capabilities on protein assemblies and biological interfaces. The technique has potential relevance to biotechnology, including study of protein misfolding underlying Alzheimer's disease. The project also trains students for careers in the scientific-instrument industry and incorporates research into graduate courses and K-12 outreach.

Performance occurs at Stony Brook, New York, with funding obligated through July 31, 2029.