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Sharon Weiss Receives NSF Award for Waveguide Research

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Sharon M. Weiss, PhD, assistant professor of electrical engineering and physics at Vanderbilt University, will receive $400,000 over five years under a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development Award. The CAREER Award will support Weiss' efforts to achieve faster and more accurate detection of biological and SharonWeiss.jpg
Sharon M. Weiss in the lab.
chemical materials by using portable porous-silicon waveguides. Weiss is investigating methods to achieve more sensitive detection of biomolecules in less time by using a sensor made from porous silicon, a material with billions of tiny nanometer-sized holes (1000 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair). “Accurate and reliable detection of biological and chemical materials is essential for improved medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and homeland security,” she said. “The extremely large surface area of porous silicon allows it to capture large numbers of biomolecules. By evaluating how light interacts with the silicon, we can detect the presence of trace amounts of biological material. Porous silicon sensors, made in our photonic crystals laboratory, have been used to identify specific DNA sequences and we will design them to detect various toxins and viruses in the near future.” Weiss, who holds one patent and has two pending, joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 2005. She received her BS, MS and PhD in optics from the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester.
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Published: March 2008
Glossary
nano
An SI prefix meaning one billionth (10-9). Nano can also be used to indicate the study of atoms, molecules and other structures and particles on the nanometer scale. Nano-optics (also referred to as nanophotonics), for example, is the study of how light and light-matter interactions behave on the nanometer scale. See nanophotonics.
nanometer
A unit of length in the metric system equal to 10-9 meters. It formerly was called a millimicron.
photonic crystals
Photonic crystals are artificial structures or materials designed to manipulate and control the flow of light in a manner analogous to how semiconductors control the flow of electrons. Photonic crystals are often engineered to have periodic variations in their refractive index, leading to bandgaps that prevent certain wavelengths of light from propagating through the material. These bandgaps are similar in principle to electronic bandgaps in semiconductors. Here are some key points about...
photonics
The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and detection by optical components and instruments, lasers and other light sources, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and sophisticated systems. The range of applications of photonics extends from energy generation to detection to communications and...
waveguide
A waveguide is a physical structure or device that is designed to confine and guide electromagnetic waves, such as radio waves, microwaves, or light waves. It is commonly used in communication systems, radar systems, and other applications where the controlled transmission of electromagnetic waves is crucial. The basic function of a waveguide is to provide a path for the propagation of electromagnetic waves while minimizing the loss of energy. Waveguides come in various shapes and sizes, and...
biomoleculesBiophotonicsCareer AwardchemicaldefenseDNAEmploymentenvironmental monitoringFaculty Early Career Development Awardhomeland securitymedicalnanonanometerNews BriefsNSFOpticsphotonic crystalsphotonicsPhotonics Tech Briefsporous-siliconSensors & DetectorsSharon Weisssiliconsilicon waveguidestoxinsvirusesWaveguide

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