Grant Ritchie

Professor of Chemistry

My research interests lie in ultrasensitive absorption spectroscopy and optical manipulation.

Our spectroscopy work is done in the mid-IR (2.5-10 μm), where there are many strong fundamental ro-vibrational molecular transitions. Therefore, this is an extremely useful region of the electromagnetic spectrum for trace gas analysis in environmental or medical monitoring applications. In general, the fundamental vibrational bands active in this region have stronger line strengths than the overtone and combination bands typically used in the visible and near-IR regions. In addition, spectra are less congested, allowing selective spectroscopic detection of a large number of molecules. The 3 μm region is of particular importance due to the strong vibrational bands associated with the C-H, N-H, and O-H stretches. Applications include collaborations with other departments at the University of Oxford
to develop sensitive breath analysers based on absorption spectroscopy.

Our optical trapping work is based on two experimental techniques: optical tweezing and evanescent wave optical manipulation. Applications include the study of colloidal crystal formation, which can act as an analogue of nanocrystal growth.

For more information, please visit my research pages or send me an email.

Research area Optical Physics Spectroscopy

Research interests Colloids Optical trapping Ultrasensitive spectroscopy

Department Chemistry

Dirk Aarts

Professor of Chemistry

We are working in soft condensed matter with a focus on the phase, interface and flow behaviour of colloidal particles.

Harry Anderson FRS

Professor of Chemistry

Our group does research in the areas of molecular materials synthesis, supramolecular chemistry, molecular recognition, polymers and dyes.

Huriye Atilgan

Postdoctoral Researcher, Henry Wellcome Fellow

Postdoctoral Researcher, Henry Wellcome Fellow Research interests: Auditory neuroscience, Auditory scene analysis, Neural circuit mechanisms of value-based decision making, Role of the claustrum in cognition (modulation, large-scale cortical communication), Use of advanced methods in neuroscience

Abhishek Banerjee

Professor of Neuroscience at Queen Mary University, London and Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellow at University of Oxford

We are interested in studying neural circuit mechanisms underlying the flexibility of decision-making and how circuit dysfunctions arise in animal models of neurological disorders.

Richard Berry

Associate Professor of Physics

My research is focused on rotary molecular motors, in particular the Bacterial Flagellar Motor, which is a rotary molecular engine powered by the flow of ions across the inner, or cytoplasmic, membrane of a bacterial cell envelope.

Harish Bhaskaran

Professor of Applied Nanomaterials

I run the Advanced Nanoscale Engineering Lab.

Ruy Sebastian Bonilla

Associate Professor of Materials

My research aims to understand the interfaces between electronic materials, to develop new processing for advanced nanolayer materials, and to apply them to new and improved electronic, optical, electrochemical, and computing devices.

Martin Booth

Professor of Electrical Engineering

My research interests lie in the theory and practice of dynamic optics, particularly the use of adaptive optical elements in high resolution microscopy and ultrafast laser fabrication.

Randy Bruno

Professor of Neuroscience

My lab investigates the workings of cortical circuitry, using a combination of techniques: anatomy, intracellular recording, two-photon microscopy, optogenetics, and behavior.

Gianfelice Cinque

Diamond Light Source and University of Oxford (honorary)

My main research focus is on IR microspectroscopy in (bio)physics and biomedicine, synchrotron radiation spectroscopy and imaging, and on the development of near field IR imaging and Coherent SR THz spectroscopy techniques.