NanoBio Photonics

Electromagnetic interactions with nanometer-scale architectures have important applications in healthcare, energy, and the environment.

The NanoBio Photonics group under the direction of Prof. D. Keith Roper studies near- and far-field features of electromagnetic-coupled surface waves, such as plasmons, and low-frequency modes, like molecular vibrations and optical phonons, on nanoscale structures. The group is particularly interested in photon-plasmon coupling on films, nanoparticles, and both random and periodic assemblies of nanparticles, including metamaterials. Optoplasmonic interactions are examined to distinguish effects of near- and far-field radiative interactions and to design nanoscale architectures with enhanced performance in biosensing, solar energy, optoelectronics, microthermalfluidics, spectroscopy, diagnostics and therapeutics. Advanced techniques are used together with novel adaptations of engineering, physics, and chemistry methods to fabricate architectures that are envisioned by modeling. A variety of complementary analytical techniques are then used to compare experimental data from fabricated structures with predictions from theoretical models. Nanoscale architectures that result from this rational process exhibit photon-plasmon coupling that offers significant improvements to solar photovoltaics, microscopy, spectroscopy and sensing of biological entities.