Biophotonics

We develop bio-inspired optical resonators using peptides, urea, etc. in collaboration with colleagues in the Dept of Chemical Sciences. These resonators are shaped as both solid and hollow rods, so that we are able to deploy them as both waveguides and Fabry-Perot cavities, when coupled with a broadband source. We are also able to tune the finesse by the use of optically manipulated micro-robots in the form of polystyrene spheres, which are brought into close proximity of hollow cavities displaying longitudinal modes, that are now transformed into waveguides supporting transverse modes.

We have devised a technique of optical frequency metrology by introducing a reflective spatial light modulator into one of the arms of an optical interferometer, which we then phase modulate to create a whole grid of interferometers, all having different phase shifts. This effectively leads to scanning of the interferometer, without actually scanning the mirrors or the light wavelength. This should have diverse applications in spectroscopy of low light emitting sources and hyperspectral imaging.