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  4. Vahid Sandoghdar

Prof. Vahid Sandoghdar

  • Director
  • Head of Nano-Optics Division

The research of our group aims to advance experimental and theoretical mastery of light-matter interaction at the nanometer scale and to achieve the same degree of control and finesse that is known from the gas-phase quantum optics in the condensed phase. To do this, we combine concepts from quantum optics, laser spectroscopy, cryogenics, optical imaging, scanning probe technology and nanofluidics. In this endeavour, we have addressed a wide spectrum of scientific questions, ranging from quantum optics to biophysics. For more information, please consult our research website and our list of publications.

1999

A single molecule as a probe of optical intensity distribution

J. Michaelis, C. Hettich, V. Zayats, B. Eiermann, Jürgen Mlynek, Vahid Sandoghdar

Optics Letters 24 581-583 (1999) | Journal

Single terrylene molecules embedded in microscopic p-terphenyl crystals are identified with the technique of fluorescence excitation spectroscopy. By use of the architecture of a scanning-probe microscope at T = 1.4 K, a single molecule is scanned through an excitation laser beam while the fluorescence signal is recorded. In this manner we have mapped the intensity distribution in a one-dimensional optical standing wave, demonstrating the potential of a single molecule as a nanometric probe. We discuss future experiments aimed at combining the high spatial and spectral sensitivity of a single molecule. (C) 1999 Optical Society of America.

Prospects of apertureless SNOM with active probes

Vahid Sandoghdar, Jürgen Mlynek

Journal of Optics A-Pure and Applied Optics 1 523-530 (1999) | Journal

We discuss the theoretical and experimental considerations of performing scanning near-field optical microscopy using subwavelength active media. In particular, we describe our efforts to realize such experiments using both finite-size nanoscopic probes and probes consisting of a single molecule as the source. In conclusion, we briefly address potential applications of these probes to other areas of science.

A novel fabrication method for fluorescence-based apertureless scanning near-field optical microscope probes

P. Kramper, A. Jebens, T. Muller, Jürgen Mlynek, Vahid Sandoghdar

Journal of Microscopy-Oxford 194 340-343 (1999) | Journal

We report a novel method for the fabrication of probes with localized sub-wavelength fluorescing media at their extremities. We present our first results and discuss future plans to extend this technique to the systematic fabrication of fluorescent probes for apertureless scanning near-field optical microscopy.

Born on April 29, 1966 in Tehran, Iran. Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of California in Davis (1987), Ph.D. in Physics (supervisors: E. A. Hinds and S. Haroche) from Yale University (1993), Postdoctoral Fellow at École Normale Supérieure (group of S. Haroche) in Paris. Head of the Nano-Optics group und habilitation in Physics at University of Konstanz (Chair of J. Mlynek). Professorship at Eidgenössischen Technischen Hochschule (ETH) Zurich (2001-2011). Recipient of an ERC Advanced Grant (2010). Alexander von Humboldt Professorship at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg and Director and Scientific Member at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light in Erlangen since 2011. Fellow of the Optical Society (OSA) and recepient of the 2023 Quantum Electronics and Optics Award for Fundamental Aspects from the European Physical Society. Founder of the Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, a joint research center that aims to address questions in fundamental medical research with physical and mathematical methods.

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