Optical Sciences

Biomolecules and nanostructures

The Optical Sciences group studies the interaction of light and matter at the nanoscale. We do this by exploring ways to shape light and its environment. It's what we call active and passive control. Our current focus is on the interaction of light with biomolecules and nanostructures. We are part of Twente University's Department of Science and Technology and member of the MESA+ institute.
We participate in the EU-COST actions MP1102: Coherent Raman microscopy (MicroCor) and CM1202: Supramolecular photocatalytic water splitting (PERSPECT-H2O)

  

Vacancies


  • Bsc / Msc project: Investigation of the possibilities and limits of Direct Laser Writing of microchannels


  • M.Sc. project: Coherent control of five coupled oscillators


    • This project is about a model system that consists of five couples oscillators. The oscillators (pendulums) can be driven through a motor on the central axis. The precise movement of the motor can be programmed. There are pick-up loops to monitor the pendulums speed at the lowest point and the power through the driving motor can be measured. By moving the weights on the pendulums, the resonant frequency can be changed. The system is a model for a molecule that has five different vibrational modes that can be excited by an optical pulse. By programming the precise motion of the motor we can try to excite just one mode or to have the energy in many modes converge to a single one.
    Although this system looks easy it is not trivial. When all five pendulums have the same length and if all the coupling is the same, it can be described and solved analytically. If the pendulums do not have the same length or if the coupling differs, it becomes quite hard to describe. To avoid lengthy calculations we can let the motor run through a self-learning algorithm that will optimize the drive by the motor to a desired target. That provides us with optimal driving pulses but no explanation of why they are optimal. By systematically varying pendulum length or coupling we can try to understand the rules for optimal pulse excitation.

    The object of this project is to find optimal driving pulses starting from very simple systems (two couples oscillators) and progressing to increasingly complicated systems and to try to formulate general strategies for optimal pulse control.

  • M.Sc. project: Crime scene trace identification using Raman detection


  • M.Sc. project: Fluorescence detection for cancer lesion identification (endoscopic and endo-microscopic)


  • M.Sc. project: Near field investigation of single Quantum dots in a cryogenic environment


  • MSc project: Electrically tuned cavity elements for an OPO


  • MSc project: Energy transfer in coupled antenna systems



    • Apart from the listed projects, we invite students to suggest projects of their own.
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