Main

Publications

Members

Useful links

Group Pictures

Rice University

Chemistry Department

Welcome to the Link Lab

In the Link Lab we are applying physical methods to solve problems in nanoscience. One of our main focus areas is the study of noble metal particles in the size range of 2-100 nm. These nanoparticles have long fascinated scientists because of their intense color, which is caused by the surface plasmon resonance, a coherent motion of the conduction band electrons induced by interaction with light. The excitation of a nanoparticle surface plasmon also creates a strong local electromagnetic field around the metal nanoparticle surface. The unique optical properties of metal nanoparticles have caused a tremendous interest in building improved and new devices from novel materials that consist of nanoparticles building blocks and are designed in a bottoms-up approach. As our main tool, we are using optical single molecule/nanoparticle imaging and spectroscopy techniques. Single molecule spectroscopy provides the ultimate molecular resolution and has enabled major breakthroughs in materials chemistry and physics because heterogeneous distributions of nanoparticle shape, size, and orientation or interfacial nanoscale structure in layered thin film devices can be measured directly.

We invite you to take a closer look at our ongoing research projects. Please feel free to contact us if you would like to learn more.





Funded by: , , , ,

Created by Alexei Tcherniak. 2006.