The Pacifici Research Group explores innovative ways to manipulate light and surface plasmons at the nanometer scale, with applications in integrated bio-sensing, optical communication, energy harvesting, coherence and quantum optics.
Examples of key research areas:
Plasmonic Interferometry for Optical Coherence Measurement and Modulation
Plasmonic interferometers can be used to measure the optical coherence of light.
Moreover, surface plasmon polaritons can modulate the degree of coherence of optical fields, making incoherent light more coherent, and viceversa.
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High-Efficiency CMOS-Compatible Germanium Quantum Dot Photodetectors
Germanium quantum dots embedded in silicon dioxide can be engineered to display interesting charge tunneling and trapping mechanisms that lead to high-efficiency photodetectors, in a very broad wavelength range.
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High-Throughput Biochemical Sensors with Plasmonic Interferometry
Plasmonic interferometry enables sensitive detection of biochemical analytes in a small footprint for high-throughput, multiplexed applications.
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Plasmonic Concentrators for Thin-Film Photovoltaics
Strong field confinement and long propagation lengths provided by plasmonic concentrators allow enhanced absorption and photoconversion efficiency in thin-film solar cells.
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Our research has led to significant advancements in plasmonics, optical coherence, nanophotonics, and optoelectronics.
Notable results
Optical Properties of Single Apertures in Metal Films – Understanding the transition from geometric to subwavelength regimes of light transmission.
Optical Bandgap Measurements of Quantum Materials – Accurate estimate of the optical bandgap of single- and multi-quantum wells of amorphous germanium.
Nano-Imprinted Silicon Nanowire Solar Cells – Achieving high internal quantum efficiency for next-generation photovoltaic technologies.
Plasmonic Interferometry for Optical Material Characterization – A novel technique to measure the optical properties of dielectric materials.
High-Efficiency Fluorescence Modulation – Nano-apertures combined with plasmonic interferometry to enhance fluorescence signals for biosensing applications.
Integrated Coherence Meter – A plasmonic interferometry-based tool for detecting and manipulating electromagnetic field coherence at sub-wavelength scales.
Germanium Quantum Dot Photodetectors – Broadband optical response (visible to near-infrared) at room temperature, achieving high responsivity (>1 A/W) and internal quantum efficiency >100%.
High-Throughput Biochemical Sensors – Development of plasmonic interferometers for real-time detection of biochemical analytes and biomarkers.
Plasmonic Concentrators – Enhancement of broadband absorption in thin-film solar cells for improved energy harvesting efficiency.
Photon Drag in Metal Films – Understanding the fundamental mechanisms underlying momentum transfer from light to electrons in metal films.
Our work continues to push the boundaries of nanophotonics, plasmonics, optical coherence and quantum optics, paving the way for breakthroughs in biochemical sensing, optical communication, renewable energy, and quantum computing technologies.