Title: Advancing Optical Manipulation and Measurement at the Nanoscale
Dr. Jingang Li
University of California, Berkeley, Mechanical Engineering
Seminar on December 3rd, 2024 at 11:00 AM in 2004 Black Engr.
Abstract
The exploitation of light has enabled key breakthroughs in many areas, including energy, manufacturing, imaging and sensing, and biology. Continuing development of these fields for greater impact necessitates a comprehensive understanding of light-matter interactions across diverse time and length scales for more efficient utilization of light. In this seminar, I will present novel optical technologies for versatile manipulation of nanomaterials and advanced measurement with high spatiotemporal resolution. First, optothermal manipulation techniques are developed to overcome the limitations of Nobel-prize-winning optical tweezers. Specifically, opto-refrigerative tweezers exploit laser cooling and thermophoresis to mitigate common optical heating damages, enabling non-invasive analysis of cells and biomolecules. Furthermore, I extended optical manipulation from fluid environments to solid surfaces, pioneering solid-phase optical assembly and nanomotors for next-generation lab-on-a-chip systems. Next, I will show the implementation of an ultrafast optical nanoscopy by integrating pump-probe optics with near-field imaging. This platform reveals unprecedented insights into intriguing carrier dynamics and energy transport in various functional materials with nanoscale heterogeneity. Along the way, I will highlight the potential of these optical innovations to provide solutions to disease diagnosis, nanomanufacturing, and energy-efficient optoelectronic devices, while discussing future directions in the field.
Biography
Dr. Jingang Li is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Li received his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin and his B.Sc. in applied physics from University of Science and Technology of China. His research aims to understand fundamental opto-thermal processes and light-matter interactions and to develop novel laser processing and diagnostic technologies for energy materials and devices, advanced manufacturing, and bioengineering. His work has been recognized by the Materials Research Society Graduate Student Award, Rising Stars in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, and UT Austin Graduate Continuing Fellowship.
This seminar counts towards the ME 600 seminar requirement for Mechanical Engineering graduate students.