A chemical and biological sensor system (200) includes at least one micro-cantilever sensing element (202) and a mechanism for collecting aerosol, liquid, and solid particles, and depositing the particles as a film layer (146) on a stack (140) formed with the cantilever. The deposited particles include chemical or biological species to be analyzed. A polarized light (242) illuminates the stack (140) at a grazing incidence angle to a specific wavelength of light. The light is polarized in a plane parallel to the stack (140). The polarized light (242) heats the cantilever with different wavelengths of the light spectrum. Readout electronics detect movement of the cantilever (202) as a result of heat transfer from the light and provide spectral data signals corresponding to the detected movement. A spectral analyzer (840) analyzes the spectral data signals, compares spectral images of the materials present to spectral images of known materials, and identifies one or more chemical or biological species present.