Ultrafast reaction dynamics of a photochromic molecular switch

We use ultrafast spectroscopy to study and control the excited-state dynamics of a common photochromic molecular switch. The compound undergoes reversible electrocyclization and cycloreversion reactions that convert the molecule between open- and closed-ring states with very different electronic and optical properties. Our experiments use various excitation schemes to explore different regions of the excited-state potential energy surfaces in order to probe the non-adiabatic dynamics of both the forward and reverse reactions.

Optics in composite and clustered plasmonic nanostructures and strong local field enhancement 

We will show certain physical characteristics that leads to strong 
near-field field enhancement in plasmonic  nanostructures using 
collective resonances. The structures considered generally involve two 
or a collection of plasmonic nanosctarrers, that sometimes are arrayed 
or clustered to generate even stronger collective resonance.
Based on simulations, strong field enhancement will be related to 
possible enhancement of the excitation and emission rate of organic 
molecules besides clustered structures. The possibility to generate

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