Project description
Multi-modal light–matter interactions reveal nanoscale structures in macroscopic samples
The electromagnetic spectrum and its photons of all different wavelengths provide a wealth of opportunities for those interested in extracting information about materials. From the simplest use of visible light in optical microscopy to the use of gamma rays, UV and infrared, the interaction of photons and matter has advanced our understanding of materials on all scales. The EU-funded MUMOTT project is exploiting polarised visible light and the scattering of hard X-rays in a multi-modal tomographic system to probe the structure of nanomaterials in situ in macroscopic samples.
Objective
Capture structures without looking at them directly, but rather by probing their interaction with electromagnetic waves - this is the basic principle for the new multi-modal tensor tomography developed in this research programme. It will enable to study the arrangement of nanostructures in macroscopic samples, six orders of magnitude larger than its building blocks, allowing to apprehend the structure of complex hierarchical materials.
I will use visible light observing change in their polarization state as well as the scattering of hard X-rays to probe nanostructure. Both modes capture alignment of nanostructure, while complementary in other aspects e.g. high penetration depth of synchrotron radiation and easy accessibility of laboratory polarimetric setups.
At the core of MUMOTT lays the development of the methodological framework implemented in an open-source software package allowing for the reconstruction of tensors in each sub-volume or voxel of the three-dimensional tomogram. Whereas in a first step I will work out a general approach, we will incorporate flexible modules to capture details of the different types of interaction. This approach includes method development pushing the boundaries of traditional synchrotron methods to make full use of the high brilliance and coherence of the new generation of synchrotrons coming online as well as the enabling of studies with lab-based equipment. It opens up for addressing new scientific problems by widening the range of materials as well as the user community.
Apart from the methodology framework we will implement the different modes to prove their capability to solve critical problems in materials and bio-science; to investigate the structure of light-weight composites based on cellulose nanofibrils, reveal how the arrangement of nanoparticles in a plasmonic composite is connected to its sensing capabilities, as well as shed light on the disruptive collagen network in liver fibrosis.
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Funding Scheme
ERC-STG - Starting GrantHost institution
5232 Villigen Psi
Switzerland