Jerome Wenger NanoBioPhotonics

In a recent breakthrough, the journal Communication Physics published a study titled "Experimental evidence of Förster energy transfer enhancement in the near field through engineered metamaterial surface waves." This research delves into the intriguing interplay between surface plasmons and Förster resonant energy transfer (FRET), shedding light on a relatively unexplored phenomenon.

Through microwave experiments, the study reveals that by exciting surface waves on a specialized metasurface, FRET can be greatly enhanced in the near-field region. In essence, this means that energy transfer between two emitters, when separated by distances smaller than the wavelength of light, can be efficiently controlled.

The key to this breakthrough lies in the metasurface—a carefully designed interface that can regulate dipole-dipole energy transfer. By harnessing metamaterials, researchers crafted this metasurface to act as a conduit for precise FRET manipulation.

The implications of this discovery are vast and hold the potential to impact various fields from advanced lighting to photovoltaics.

Within our new ERC Proof of Concept project “PrintNano4Fluo”, we aim at bridging the technological gap between nanophotonics and single molecule fluorescence techniques. Our vision is to develop a cost-effective and scalable nanofabrication technique to produce nanophotonics devices with high optical performance. These nanophotonic devices will be further used by our group and our scientific collaborator worldwide to further advance biophysics studies focusing on single molecules.

To strengthen our multidisciplinary team, we are seeking for a specialist of nanofabrication of nanostructures using focused ion beam milling and related methods. The selected candidate will be performing the nanofabrication using our in-house dual-beam focused ion beam FIB system (FEI db235 Strata). He/she will also be involved in sol-gel nanoimprint lithography and in the sample characterization using scanning electron microscopy and optical spectroscopy.

Bringing nanophotonics tools to the end users single molecule microscopists is a distinctive way to make a true impact in the fields of nanosciences and biophysics to break into the physical limits set by diffraction.

More info in the pdf file enclosed below. See it also on Euraxess 121712.

We are glad to announce that we will be hosting the next plenary scientific days of the GDR Active Plasmonics in Marseille Campus Saint Charles from 10th to 12th of July 2023.

The topics cover all forms of plasmonics and nanophotonics, from fundamentals to applications. More info on the conference website: https://gdr-pa.sciencesconf.org/

Important Dates & Deadlines

• June 19th 2023 Abstract Submission
• June 19th 2023 Registration

Warning: registration is free of charge but mandatory via the conference website. Deadlines are strict and will not be extended, no exceptions.

List of confirmed invited speakers:

• Anne-Laure Baudrion (UTT, Troyes) – Nonlinear optical sensing in arrays of plasmonic nanoparticles
• Eric Le Moal (ISMO, Univ. Paris Saclay) - Plasmonics and nanophotonics with inelastic tunneling electrons
• Beniamino Sciacca (CINaM, Marseille) - Bottom-up plasmonic metasurfaces à la carte
• Guillaume Baffou (Institut Fresnel, Marseille) – Optical wavefront microscopy in nanophotonics and thermoplasmonics

See the program below

Achieving sub-millisecond temporal resolution to monitor fast molecular dynamics has been a persistent challenge in single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy. The fluorescence brightness, or the number of photons detected per second and per molecule, is the key parameter that determines the temporal resolution of these techniques. Unfortunately, conventional confocal microscopes fall short in providing the brightness required for sub-millisecond monitoring. In a recent article published in Advanced Optical Materials, we present a method for achieving high temporal resolution in single-molecule fluorescence techniques using optical horn antennas.

Significance:

- We demonstrate the use of plasmonic nanoantennas to achieve a remarkably high level of collection efficiency, reaching over 90% of the total emitted light from a single diffusing molecule.

- With a fluorescence brightness of 2 million photons/s/molecule, we can perform fast FCS measurements and observe single molecules within individual diffusion bursts at microsecond binning time.

- This technological advancement expands the application of plasmonic antennas and zero-mode waveguide nanoapertures towards higher fluorescence count rates and faster temporal resolutions

Freely available on ArXiv 2303.00416

We are pleased to welcome Julia Osmolska to our lab for the next two months as an intern. Julia will be working on a fascinating research project on gold nanoclusters and the use of plasmonics to enhance their photoluminescence.

Julia comes to us from the group of Joanna Olesiak-Banska at the Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, and we are eager to learn from her expertise and experience in the field. With her background, we are confident that she will make valuable contributions to our lab during her time here.

Please join us in welcoming Julia to our lab and stay tuned for updates on her research progress. We can't wait to see the impact that she will make during her time here!