Research Areas - (1) Plasmonic Nanoparticle Optical Tweezers and Optofluidic Sensing

Full path: Biology > Biophysics > Quantum Biology / Biosensing > Optical Trapping Biophysics > Plasmonic Nanoparticle Optical Tweezers and Optofluidic Sensing

Department(s)/lab(s): School of Physics | Reece Optical Trapping and Nanophotonics Laboratory @ UNSW
Summary:

Reece runs UNSW's optical trapping and nanophotonics laboratory. The group combines optical tweezers with spectroscopy and microfluidics to characterise individual nanoparticles and cells: trapping and spectroscopically interrogating plasmonic core-satellite assemblies (with Gooding and Tilley), measuring single-cell mechanics, and building porous-silicon and photonic-crystal resonant structures for label-free biosensing where the analyte shifts a cavity resonance. Positioned against the established body of NV-ensemble quantum sensing work — DEER, nanoscale NMR and T1 relaxometry protocols operating at pT/sqrt(Hz) field sensitivity — optical trapping is the standard way to hold a nanoscale sensor — including a nanodiamond hosting an NV ensemble at pT/sqrt(Hz) — at a controlled position inside a cell or fluid, and levitated-nanodiamond spin-mechanics is an active field that this group's capabilities map onto almost exactly. Strong practical fit for a bio-oriented quantum sensing candidate.