Optics and Photonics

The work includes both theoretical and experimental studies and is carried out in close collaboration with local, national and international research partners. It is funded mostly by the Academy of Finland, private foundations, and direct contracts from industry. The group’s premises are in Micronova, the national micro- and nano-technology center of Finland.

Group leader
Professor Matti Kaivola

Research
Highlights of recent research
New electromagnetic anapolesCrosstalk reduction between nanowaveguidesMode interference in photonic crystalsEnhancement of fluorescenceNear-field spatial coherenceAberration-insensitive microscopyControl of group velocity of light in free spaceCancellation of optical diffractionPolarization time of unpolarized lightSpatial dispersion and fluorescence in metamaterials
Quadrupole optical metasurface
Suppression of optical diffraction
Open Positions in Optics and Photonics
Open positions in Optics and Photonics
Laboratory Facilities
Inverted microscope Nikon Eclipse TE2000-U
- Brightfield, phase contrast and fluorescence capabilities
- HAMAMATSU ORCA-ER CCD camera
- Piezo transducer for the stage with 1 nm step
Polarizing microscope MT9930, MEIJI TECHNO CO.
- Rotatable stage, full polarization analysis
- Color video camera INFINITY 2, Lumenera Co.
SpectraPro-2500i monochromator/spectrograph, Princeton Instruments/Acton
- Operating range 185 nm – 1400 nm
- Resolution ~0.1 nm
- Includes PIXIS 400 camera (thermoelectric + liquid cooling), 350 nm – 1050 nm
Spectrometer Jobin Yvon (U1000) Raman, HORIBA
- Operation range UV-NIR
- Resolution ~0.01 nm
Ocean Optics spectrometers, fiber-coupled
- HR4000, operation range 200 nm -1100 nm
- USB2000+, operation range 200 nm -1100 nm
- Fiber-coupled light source DH-2000-BAL, 200 nm -1500 nm
CW laser Millenia Xs, Spectra-Physics
- Wavelength 532 nm
- TEM00 transverse mode
- Output power 10 W
CW laser Verdi, Coherent
- Wavelength 532 nm
- Single longitudinal mode (linewidth < 5 MHz)
- Output power 18 W
Mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser Tsunami, Spectra-Physics
- Wavelength 790 nm
- Pumped with Millenia or Verdi
- Pulse duration ~100 fs
- Average power ~1 W
- Peak power ~50 kW
Amplified fs-pulsed laser system
- Coherent Astrella Ti:sapphire oscillator and regenerative amplifier
- Central wavelength 800 nm
- Pulse duration < 35 fs
- Gaussian beam, M2 < 1.3
- Pulse energy > 6 mJ at 1 kHz repetition rate
- TOPAS-Prime Optical Parametric Amplifier, Light Conversion
- Tunable across 290 nm – 1150 nm
- Pulse duration < 50 fs
- Pulse energies: ~ 100 mJ at 480 nm – 1150 nm; > 15 mJ at 290 nm – 480 nm.
CW solid-state laser, 403 nm, CrystaLaser
- Wavelength 403 nm
- Single longitudinal mode (~0.01 nm width, ~1 cm coherence length)
- Output power 40 mW
CW He-Ne lasers, Melles Griot
- Wavelength 633 nm
- TEM00 transverse mode
- Output power ~1 mW
Optical interferometers for characterizing surface movements and vibrations
- Lateral resolution < 1 mm
- Minimum detectable vibration amplitude < 1 pm
- Frequency range from static surfaces up to 6 GHz
Latest publications
Polarization Vortex-Driven Third-Harmonic Generation in a Single Vertically-Aligned Semiconductor Nanowire
Extended depth of field of an imaging system with an annular aperture
Enabling infinite Q factors in absorbing optical systems
Nonlinear nonlocal metasurfaces
Optical metasurfaces with hybrid TE-TM collective resonances for spectroscopic applications
Plasma-wave generation and acceleration of electrons by a nondiverging beating optical beam
Near-field enhancement by waveguide-plasmon polaritons in a nonlocal metasurface
Monitoring the gold nanoshell growth mechanism: stabilizing and destabilizing effects of PEG-SH molecules
Multifrequency Bessel beams with adjustable group velocity and longitudinal acceleration in free space
Prism-based approach to create intensity-interferometric non-diffractive cw light sheets
Research group members


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