Our group develops next generation optical imaging and sensing platforms in the context of future biomedical, pharmaceutical and clinical applications. We are particularly interested in label-free or digital approaches: low-cost key-enablers for democratizing state-of-the-art healthcare globally. We realise this vision by combining fundamental research with systematic platform and assay development. Sometimes, we meet our target by simplifying and adopting existing technologies. On many occasions, however, we start from a curiosity-driven hypothesis where applicability is a long term high-gain objective. To realise our vision, we combine an interdisciplinary toolbox ranging from molecular biology over ultrafast optics to digital holography with the key-ingredient being creativity and room for personal development. Selected research topics are outlined below.

Phototransient holography is a technique that we pioneered over the past few years: It enables high-speed widefield observations of transient dynamics and photoinduced signals on conventional cameras. We use light to heat a material and then detect transient phase-changes, on femtosecond to picosecond time-scales. Our approach has several key-advantages over alternative techniques: its transient, rather than steady-state, read-out enables large field-of-view observations at dramatically improved signal-levels.

Over the past few years we have done most of the necessary proof-of-concept experiments. We implemented holographic all-optical lock-in detection and demonstrated both spectroscopic and sensing applications. We, furthermore, performed phototransient 3D particle-tracking experiments and recorded time-resolved transients on freely moving samples.

The current focus is on adopting the technique to biomedical imaging and identification of bacteria, cells and tissue. As such, we are implementing a system that combines high-intensity infrared (IR) pulses with visible, holographic, read-out of the phototransient signal. This combination allows recording vibrational, or chemical, fingerprints of biologically and clinically relevant samples.