Seminar: Friday, March 16, 2018, Dr. Wei-Chuan Shih
TITLE: Enabling optical elements for emerging science and technologies
SPEAKER: Dr. Wei-Chuan Shih, University of Houston
DATE: Friday, March 16, 2018
TIME: 11:00 am
LOCATION: EOW 230
Abstract:
I will discuss our development of enabling optical elements including plasmonic nanostructures, neural stimulator and recorder, and inkjet-printed lenses. First, I will introduce a highly porous yet monolithic plasmonic meta-surface that features intense and high-density field localization, large surface area, and high structural integrity and reproducibility. The fabrication process of this meta-surface is of low-cost, highly scalable, and can be implemented on various substrates. Surface plasmons (SP) are the primary driver for localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and surface-enhanced spectroscopy such as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), fluorescence, and absorption techniques. These enhanced light-matter interactions have enabled new sensing, imaging, and photothermal applications. Second, I will touch base on a neural probe for optical stimulation and spike recording fabricated by ion-beam lithography and laser micromachining. Third, I will show an “inkjet printing” process for making polymer lenses in an additive fashion without molding or grinding. I will discuss one interesting application by using these lenses as “stickers” to turn a smartphone camera into a high performance microscope operating in bright-field, dark-field, and fluorescence modes. Such an imaging platform has found numerous applications in molecular sensing, STEM education, and citizen science.