
Dr Henkjan Gersen
PhD, MSc
Current positions
Honorary Industrial Professor
School of Physics
Contact
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Research interests
My current research focuses on nanoscale functional imaging and spectroscopy to enable investigation of the spatial, temporal and polarization profiles of ultrafast optical excitation fields that maximize spatial resolution, sensitivity and throughput as is needed to achieve further breakthroughs in biology and materials science.
This interest in exploring and actively controlling physical and optical processes at nanometer length scales is what has motivated my research from the start of my career. The underpinning technology in doing so has primarily been scanning probe microscopy as it allows a fundamental and detailed understanding of local physical properties to be obtained without being limited by the wavelength of light. Over the years I have developed an expertise in Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy (both collection and excitation mode), Interferometry, UHV-STM, single molecule detection, self-assembly on surfaces, electromagnetism of emitters in layered media, 2D photonic crystals, theoretical modeling of pulse propagation and the use of ultrafast optical techniques.
Projects and supervisions
Research projects
8099 EPSRC EP/M027546/1 LINK TO RB17
Principal Investigator
Managing organisational unit
School of PhysicsDates
01/08/2016
MEASURING THE SPATIO-TEMPORAL FIELD OF ULTRASHORT PULSES NEAR NANOSTRUCTURES
Principal Investigator
Managing organisational unit
School of PhysicsDates
01/04/2009 to 01/10/2012
ULTRASENSITIVE DETECTION OF NANOMETER SIZED METAL PARTICLES IN LIVING CELLS
Principal Investigator
Managing organisational unit
School of PhysicsDates
01/05/2008 to 01/05/2011
Thesis supervisions
Novel Multivalent Glyco-Nanomaterials as Potential Theranostics
Supervisors
Developing an Acoustic Deformation and Laser Scattering Technique for Mechanophenotyping of Cell-Sized Objects
Supervisors
Ultrafast Spectroscopy of Photoactive Nanomaterials
Supervisors
Particle Size Anisotropy Analysis in Single Particle Tracking using the T-Matrix Method
Supervisors
Nanoparticle Characterisation and Refractive Index Sensing via Backscattering Interferometry
Supervisors
Characterising Plasmonic Nanostructures with Interferometric Cross Polarised Microscopy
Supervisors
Development of Novel Probes for Correlative Light Electron Microscopy
Supervisors
Determination of the refractive index of biomolecules at the nanoscale by Backscattering Interferometry
Supervisors
Development of Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis for Advanced Nanoparticle Characterisation in Dispersions
Supervisors
Crystallisation and confinement of mesoscale active matter
Supervisors
Publications
Selected publications
20/01/2015On the complex point spread function in interferometric cross-polarisation microscopy
Optics Express
Combining near-field scanning optical microscopy with spectral interferometry for local characterization of the optical electric field in photonic structures
Optics Express
A molecular conformational change induced self-assembly: from randomness to order
Chemical Communications
Identification of Molecular-Adsorption Geometries and Intermolecular Hydrogen-Bonding Configurations by In Situ STM Manipulation
Angewandte Chemie - International Edition
Balanced detection for interferometry with a noisy source
Review of Scientific Instruments
Recent publications
15/11/2024On the suitability of rigorous coupled-wave analysis for fast optical force simulations
Journal of Optics
Lateral optical force optimisation based on periodic arrays of a single motif
An Analysis of Semicircular Channel Backscattering Interferometry Through Ray Tracing Simulations
Sensors
Determining Nanorod Dimensions in Dispersion with Size Anisotropy Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
Measuring the Refractive Index and Sub-Nanometre Surface Functionalisation of Nanoparticles in Suspension
Nanoscale