The Nanophotonics group provides access to state-of-the-art microscopy equipment and assistance required for the range of charged particle (CPM) and light microscopy techniques. Our activities of imaging and analysis range from single nanoparticles to large-scale electronic devices for both academic and industrial projects. Our equipment is used for advanced nano-resolution imaging, chemical and morphological analysis, failure analysis, and fabrication for materials science and life sciences.
Imaging facilities
Orion NanoFab lab
A Zeiss Orion NanoFab facility consisting of a multibeam ion microscope dedicated to micro- and nanofabrication and imaging.
Technological highlights:
- Imaging resolution: higher than 0.5 nm
- Three ion beams (Helium, Neon and Gallium) integrated in one instrument
- Charge compensation: by an electron flood gun
- Fabrication tools: structuring by Ion-beam milling and by ion-beam chemical decomposition in a sub-10 nm to µm range
- Fabrication Software: nano-patterning and visualisation engine (NPVE)
Example case studies
a. Nephilla Madagasariensis silk–sectioning and imaging
b. Hierarchical Au Needle Clusters on Highly Active TiO2 Thin Film
c. Human Adenovirus attached to magnetic beads
Raman Imaging Lab
Our facilities are equipped with two microscopes:
Confocal Raman Imaging Microscope based on WITec alpha 300R series, including:
- 532 nm excitation laser module, DPSS 30 mW power
- 633 nm excitation laser module, 15 mW power
- WITec TrueMatch Database with Full Raman spectral database (16000 spectra)
- Automated Polarization Management module
Bruker Senterrra Confocal Raman Microscope, including
- 785 nm excitation laser module, 150 mW power
- 533 nm excitation laser module, 20 MW power
- Olympus BX51M System Microscope with halogen light source
Figure: Correlelatve Helium Ion and Raman Microscopy on Plastics and Textiles
Nano Optics Lab
We utilise laser scanning microscopy and time-resolved spectroscopy to trace dynamics in materials that detect light emission phenomena occurring in extremely short periods. Within this field, we monitor and analyse the temporal decay of organic materials and devices' photo- and electroluminescence signals with sub-nanosecond time and diffraction-limited spatial resolution to improve the performance and device lifetime. Here, we investigate degradation processes or the interaction of thin organic layers and fibres with nanostructured substrates.
Cleanroom facility
Furthermore, a range of Scanning Electron and Atomic Force Microscopies is available through the C-MAC cleanroom facility. A full list of the cleanroom equipment, including details on the facility, can be found at https://www.sdu.dk/en/forskning/cmac
Recent projects
PlastTrack – a technological platform for tracing plastics in our seas
In the PlastTrack Interreg 6a project, we collaborate across the Danish-German border, bringing in our expertise to develop an imaging toolbox to monitor the transformation and degradation of micro- and nanoplastics in the environment.
We aim to prevent further uncontrolled releases of micro- and nanoplastics by providing tools that track the path of plastic waste and support the development of environmental product declarations. We will develop the technological platform, automate the detection and digitise the analysis of micro- and nanoplastics.
Funding: Deutchalnd-Danmark Interreg 6a programme
More information here: https://www.plasttrack.eu/
Publications related to the field (2017-2023)
17. Djajadi, DT, Müller, S, Fiutowski, J, Rubahn, H-G, Thygesen, LG & Posth, N 2023, 'Interaction of chitosan with nanoplastic in water: The effect of environmental conditions, particle properties, and potential for in situ remediation', Science of the Total Environment, vol. 907, 167918. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167918
16. Iachina, I, Brewer, J, Rubahn, H-G & Fiutowski, J 2023, 'Helium Ion Microscopy and Sectioning of Spider Silk', Scanning, vol. 2023, 2936788. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/2936788
15. Iachina, I, Fiutowski, J, Rubahn, H-G, Vollrath, F & Brewer, J 2023, 'Nanoscale imaging of major and minor ampullate silk from the orb-web spider Nephila Madagascariensis', Scientific Reports, vol. 13, no. 1, 6695. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-33839-z
14. Shondo, J, Veziroglu, S, Tjardts, T, Fiutowski, J, Schröder, S, Mishra, YK, Strunskus, T, Rubahn, HG, Faupel, F & Aktas, OC 2022, 'Selective adsorption and photocatalytic clean-up of oil by TiO2 thin film decorated with p-V3D3 modified flowerlike Ag nanoplates', Advanced Materials Interfaces, vol. 9, no. 14, 2102126. https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202102126 (cover)
13. Fiutowski, J, Mishra, YK, Veziroglu, S, Ayna, M, Kohlhaas, T, Sayin, S, Karayürek, F, Naujokat, H, Saygili, Eİ, Açil, Y, Wiltfang, J, Faupel, F, Aktas, OC & Gülses, 2021, 'Marine algae incorporated polylactide acid patch: novel candidate for targeting osteosarcoma cells without impairing the osteoblastic proliferation', Polymers, vol. 13, no. 6, 847. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13060847
12. Schons Gularte, J, de Oliveira Hansen, R, Demoliner, M, Fiutowski, J, Eisen, A, Heldt, F, Almeida, P, Rubahn, H-G & Spilki, F 2021, 'Functionalized surfaces as a tool for virus sensing: a demonstration of human mastadenovirus detection in environmental waters', Chemosensors, vol. 9, no. 2, 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors9020019
11. Glover, Z, Francis, MJ, Fiutowski, J, Sun, Q, Yu, Q, Andersen, U, Brewer, JR, Simonsen, AC, Povey, MJ & Holmes, MJ 2020, 'Acoustic attenuation spectroscopy and helium ion microscopy study of rehydration of dairy powder', Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, vol. 600, 124795. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2020.124795
10. Veziroglu, S, Obermann, A-L, Ullrich, M, Hussain, M, Kamp, M, Kienle, L, Leißner, T, Rubahn, H-G, Polonskyi, O, Strunskus, T, Fiutowski, J, Es-Souni, M, Adam, J, Faupel, F & Aktas, OC 2020, 'Photo-deposition of Au Nanoclusters for Enhanced Photocatalytic Dye Degradation over TiO2 Thin Film', ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, vol. 12, no. 13, pp. 14983-14992. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.9b18817
9. Berger, N, Laghrissi , A, Yan Tay , Y, Sritharan , T, Fiutowski, J, Rubahn, H-G & Es-Souni, M 2020, 'Formation of Si nanorods and discrete nanophases by axial diffusion of Si from substrate into Au and AuPt nanoalloy nanorods', Nanomaterials, vol. 10, no. 1, 68. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10010068
8. Haidar, A, Ali, AA, Veziroglu, S, Fiutowski, J, Eichler, H, Müller, I, Kiefer, K, Faupel , F, Bischoff, M, Veith, M, Aktas, OC & Abdul-Khaliq, H 2019, 'PTFEP-Al2O3 hybrid nanowires reducing thrombosis and biofouling', Nanoscale Advances, vol. 1, no. 12, pp. 4659-4664. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9na00436j (Cover)
7. Jurkevičiūtė, A, Klimaitė, G, Tamulevičius, T, Fiutowski, J, Rubahn, H-G & Tamulevičius, S 2020, 'Tailoring of Silver Nanoparticle Size Distributions in Hydrogenated Amorphous Diamond-like Carbon Nanocomposite Thin Films by Direct Femtosecond Laser Interference Patterning', Advanced Engineering Materials, vol. 22, no. 3, 1900951. https://doi.org/10.1002/adem.201900951
6. Veziroglu, S, Röder, K, Gronenberg, O, Vahl, A, Polonsky, O, Strunskus, T, Rubahn, H-G, Kienle, L, Adam, J, Fiutowski, J, Faupel , F & Aktas, OC 2019, 'Cauliflower-like CeO2: TiO2 Hybrid Nanostructures with Extreme Photocatalytic and Self-Cleaning Properties', Nanoscale, vol. 11, no. 20, pp. 9840-9844. https://doi.org/10.1039/C9NR01208G (Cover)
5. Telecka, A, Mandsberg, NK, Li, T, Ndoni, S, Di Mundo, R, Palumbo, F, Fiutowski, J, Chiriaev, S & Taboryski, R 2018, 'Mapping the transition to superwetting state for nanotextured surfaces templated from block-copolymer self-assembly', Nanoscale, vol. 10, no. 44, pp. 20652-20663. https://doi.org/10.1039/C8NR07941B
4. Veziroglu, S, Ghori, MZ, Kamp, M, Kienle, L, Rubahn, H-G, Strunskus, T, Fiutowski, J, Adam, J, Faupel , F & Aktas, OC 2018, 'Photocatalytic growth of hierarchical au needle clusters on highly active TiO2 thin film', Advanced Materials Interfaces, vol. 5, no. 15, 1800465. https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.201800465 (Cover)
3. Novikov, SM, Popok, VN, Evlyukhin, AB, Hanif, M, Morgen, P, Fiutowski, J, Beermann, J, Rubahn, HG & Bozhevolnyi, SI 2017, 'Highly Stable Monocrystalline Silver Clusters for Plasmonic Applications', Langmuir, vol. 33, no. 24, pp. 6062-6070. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b00772
2. Chiriaev, S., Dam Madsen, N., Rubahn, H-G. & Andersen, S. M., 2017, In: A I M S Materials Science. 4, 6, p. 1289-1304 Helium Ion Microscopy of
proton exchange membrane fuel cell electrode structures
1. Zhang, G., Kačmarčík, J., Wang, Z., Zulkharnay, R., Marcin, M., Ke, X., Chiriaev, S., Adashkevich, V., Szabó, P., Li, Y., Samuely, P., Moshchalkov, V.,
May, P. & Rubahn, H-G., Dec 2019, In: Physical Review Applied. 12, 6, 8 p., 064042.Anomalous Anisotropy in Superconducting Nanodiamond Films
Induced by Crystallite Geometry