MRI: Acquisition of a Confocal Micro-Raman Spectrometer

This Major Research Instrumentation award is to acquire a Raman spectrometer for research, education, and broader impacts in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Raman spectroscopy uses the inelastic scattering of light to probe the energy of molecular vibrations in gases, liquids, and solids. The energy of these vibrations can reveal a wealth of knowledge on the chemical, structural, and thermal properties of matter, with nanoscale resolution.

Such details are essential to overcoming some of the greatest challenges in many fields of science and engineering, spanning from planetary sciences to nanotechnology. The instrument will be located at Southern Methodist University, in the heart of the Metroplex, providing research and educational opportunities to nearby academic, industrial, and cultural institutions.

At Southern Methodist University, knowledge distilled from the instrument will support K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs through the Caruth Institute for Engineering Education. In addition to this, it will bolster artwork conservation efforts at the many museums in the region.

Raman spectroscopy will contribute to fundamental and applied research in areas of computational chemistry, planetary sciences, paleontology, and nanoelectronics. In the field of computational chemistry, it will provide an experimental counterpart to theoretical research on vibrational spectra, including new methods of computing spectra with extreme accuracy or decoding the underlying chemical bonds in complex spectra.

In the field of planetary sciences, it will provide details on nanoscale geological features, unlocking insights into dramatic events like the evolution of continental crust and large meteorite impacts. Raman spectroscopy will also aide in exploring the mineralogy of celestial bodies, like Saturn’s moon, Titan, which possesses striking similarities to Earth’s atmosphere.

In the field of paleontology, it will identify biomolecules, which can infer new knowledge on the color, body temperature, and prehistoric environment of fossils. In the field of nanotechnology, it will support the development of new two-dimensional crystals and heterostructures for electron and quantum devices. Raman thermometry will also enable researchers to probe self-heating and heat dissipation in these devices, which is perhaps the largest obstacle to progressing modern nanoelectronics.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.