Welcome to the Chemical Physics Group website!
Our group is working on a variety of different sensing technologies, based on optical, mechanical and electrical transduction techniques, for applications in healthcare diagnostics, environmental monitoring and homeland security. In addition, we study non-crystalline materials (e.g. glasses), understanding their physical properties in terms of their atomic structure and defects. The approach is multidisciplinary, covering solid-state chemistry, physics and materials science.
We have developed an optical system for the simultaneous monitoring of multiple cantilever sensors. The readout is achieved with phase-shifting interferometric microscopy (PSIM) and the cantilevers are operated in a static-deflection mode. This method is not dependent on alignment and allows the monitoring of the entire displacement profiles of all cantilevers within the field of view, using just one light source.
Metal Nanoparticles
Content to follow.
Field-Emission Carbon Nanotube Sensors
Gas flowing over pairs of CNT electrodes is ionized by the high applied electric field, generating a current; the threshold ionization voltage is characteristic of the gas.
PCB-Integrated Polymer Waveguides for Environmental Monitoring (In Collaboration With CAPE)
Content to follow.
SERS Substrates From Chalcogenide Glasses (ChG)
Due to their photosensitivity, periodic nanostructures can be easily fabricated in ChG thin films in a convenient and cost-effective way. By coating with a thin Au layer, such nanostructures act as effective SERS substrates and are capable of producing detectable Raman signals for low concentrations of analyte molecules.
Theoretical Studies Of Optical Sensors
Content to follow.
