(Bio-)Molecular Compounds Detection and Analysis with Innovative Nonlinear Optical Methods
Researchers
DOCTORAL CANDIDATE
Yunqian Zou
SUPERVISORS
Prof. Pierre-François Brevet, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL)
Dist. Prof. Arnan Mitchell, RMIT University (RMIT)
Research areas
Nonlinear Optics and Nanophotonics
Project Brief
In order to perform the detection and characterization of (bio-)chemical-based compounds and materials at ultra-low level with applications in a broad range of domains from environmental and security monitoring to climate science, one strategy is to use nanoparticles as vectors with high sensitivity and selectivity. This strategy can involve either dielectric or plasmonic nanoparticles and may possibly entail surface chemistry in order to target specific analytes. This endeavour requires new concepts and new instruments, with a special emphasis towards near-IR and Mid-IR spectral domains where compounds have distinct optical fingerprints.
The project aims at conceiving new concepts and designing new instrumentation to achieve these aims using nonlinear optics-based protocols. In particular, innovative strategies based on nonlinear optical processes, either quadratic or cubic processes like frequency doubling or nonlinear absorption and refraction will be proposed and enabled, building on the already known skills of the research group where the work will be conducted.