Welcome to the Nonlinear Interfacial Spectroscopy Group

Our group focusses on the investigation molecular structures and dynamics at interfaces using ultrafast nonlinear spectroscopic techniques. Our goal is to better understand the unique physical properties of molecular interfaces and unravel the mechanisms of interfacial physico-chemical processes.

We therefore employ and develop novel spectroscopic tools based on second order nonlinear light-matter interactions where we combine vibrational information with spatial resolution. This includes phase-sensitive SFG/DFG spectroscopy and microscopy as well as time-resolved techniques such as vibrational pump-probe and multidimensional spectroscopies.

Latest news:

Nasim just joined our group. She is a Postdoc and will be working on the SFG microscopy project focussing on the implementation of super-resolution techniques in our microscope. Welcome!

This perspective by Alex and Alvaro is now published in JPC-C. In this work, the effect of depth dependent changes in molecular structures on nonlinear vibrational spectra is analyzed and various experimental strategies to obtain information on these structural properties are evaluated. This paper was selected as ACS editor’s choice highlighting its impact. Congratulations!
Link to publication

This work by Alex and Ben is now published in JPC Letters. The paper demonstrates the succsessful determination of the full 3D molecular orientation in phpospholipid monolayers by applying phase-resolved SFG microsocpy as function of sample rotation.
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This work by Alex, Alvaro, and Vasilis is now published in Langmuir. It detemines the length scale of the structural anisotropy decay at the air-water interface using our depth-resolved SFG/DFG spectroscopy. This work is the first direct experimental measurement thickness of the interfacial water layer.
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With Sarabjeet we have now a new member in our group. She is a postdoc and will work on the SFG/DFG project. Welcome!

The work by Alex and Ben on phase-resolved SFG microscopy is now published in Nature Communications. This work uncovers the details of the molecular structures in phospholipid model membranes showing fascinating hierarchical molecular packing motifs with spiralling molecular directions. It is also our first direct observation of molecular in-plane order in a monolayer.
Link to publication