Department of Applied Physics

Optics and Photonics

The research of the Optics and Photonics group covers a range of topics of modern optics and photonics, encompassing various aspects of light-matter interaction, optical coherence and polarization, development of methods to manipulate light with nano- and micro-structures, design and construction of novel light sources, optical metamaterials and optical imaging.

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

Head of Department

Research

Highlights of recent research

Spatial dispersion and fluorescence

Ultrafast polarization effects

Quadrupole optical metasurface

Suppression of optical diffraction

Beam refraction by a nanomaterial

Optical nanolithography

Open Positions

Open positions in Optics and Photonics

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

Optics and Photonics, Department of Applied Physics

Highly birefringent metamaterial structure as a tunable partial polarizer

Publishing year: 2019 Optics Express

Optics and Photonics, Department of Applied Physics

Interference and polarization beating of independent arbitrarily polarized polychromatic optical waves

Publishing year: 2019 Physical Review A

Optics and Photonics, Department of Applied Physics