nanophotonics pick

In late 2012, several job offers in nano-optics and biophotonics were posted. See the call webpage here. Several positions have been filled now, I am delighted to welcome new young scientists in the coming weeks.

Positions still open:

PhD position NanoVista : Nanophotonics inside CMOS biosensors

Contractual researcher ExtendFRET : Förster resonance energy transfer & surface chemistry

Key benefits from Fresnel - Marseille:

* ambitious innovative research, projects were selected by most prestigious national and european grants.

* state-of-the-art equipment resources & know-how

* close mentorship from a senior CNRS researcher

* long-term career visibility, contracts have several years duration

* full social advantages from being employed by French CNRS

* South France quality of life: sun, see, mountains & food

Positions filled:

DONE PhD ExtendFRET : Extended fluorescence energy transfer with nanophotonics

DONE PhD Twins : Theoretical / numerical research in plasmonics and optical antennas

DONE PostDoc ExtendFRET : Plasmonic circuits design & simulations

DONE PostDoc Twins : Design of optical antennas for enhancing light-matter interaction at the nanometer scale

DONE PostDoc NanoVista : Enhanced detection of single fluorescent molecules with plasmonic antennas

Found that e-book free online, might be of interest for PhD students / young postdocs:

Charting a Course for a Successful Research Career - 2nd edition by Prof. Alan M Johnson
As researchers operate in a progressively competitive research environment, with grant applications increasing, funding opportunities decreasing, and funding bodies tightening the reins around their requirements and expected outcomes - early career researchers are often at a disadvantage when applying for grants. In this helpful guide, Professor Alan M Johnson, steers early career researchers through the potential pitfalls and opportunities when planning for a successful research career.

The SSOPII summer school on plasmonics is approaching !

Check the latest program version, and travel venue information.

My coworker Heykel Aouani will defend his PhD on September 08th (13:00, Ponte Amphi). The thesis is entitled "Optical nanoantennas to enhance and control molecular fluorescence in subwavelength volumes".

Thesis committee:

- Prof. Romain Quidant (ICFO Barcelona, reviewer)

- Dr Alexandre Bouhelier (ICB Dijon, reviewer)

- Prof. Xavier Letartre (INL Lyon)

- Prof. Emmanuel Fort (ESPCI Paris)

- Dr. Herve Rigneault (Fresnel Marseille)

- Dr. Jerome Wenger (thesis supervisor)

Abstract: Optical nanoantennas allow manipulation, connement and enhancement of light in subwavelength volumes. The applications of these nano-objects are related to various fields such as nano-light sources, photovoltaic, microscopy, spectroscopy ... The physical properties of these nanoantennas depending mainly on their nature, sizes and geometries, the experimental characterization of these nano-objects is essential because it allows to improve signicantly their design and amplify the electromagnetic responses. The focus of this work concerns the characterization and exploitation properties of optical nanoantennas. Several experimental characterization techniques of nanoantennas have been developed during this thesis : fluorescence correlation spectroscopy FCS, temporal dynamics monitoring of quantum dots, spectroscopy by saturated excitation of fluorescence. These techniques were applied to study different types of optical antennas : dielectric microspheres, bare nanoapertures and corrugated nanoapertures. These optical antennas have been used to effectively improve the detection of fluorescent molecules in solution, with fluorescence enhancement greater than a factor of 100, together with a directivity control of the fluorescence emission, opening new opportunities in biophotonics.

Un séminaire thématique franco-japonais sur la nanophotonique est organisé du 07 au 09 novembre 2011 au Japon (région Ise Kanko, entre Osaka et Tokyo). L'objectif est de permettre une meilleure connaissance des acteurs japonais de la nanophotonique et des technologies correspondantes.

Pour tout renseignement, contactez daniel.bloch[@NOSPAM]univ-paris13.fr