Playing with rare earth ions in a confocal microscope

Dr. Daniel Jaque
Universidad Autonoma de Madrid
John Arbuthnott Building SB151
2.30p.m. Thursday 17 th September 2009

Abstract :

Rare earth ions are nowadays regarded as one of the most versatile luminescent systems capable of producing light in a wide spectral range covering from the deep UV up to the medium infrared with a quantum efficiency almost reaching 100%. They, indeed, have been the basis of past solid state lasers that still play a relevant role in medicine, industry and science. During the last few years, rare earth ions, through their luminescence, are being used as optical probes capable of giving us information at the micro and sub-micrometric scale when combined with high resolution confocal fluorescence microscopy. In this talk I will briefly explain the basic principles and mechanisms of rare earth fluorescence, paying special attention to the information that fluorescence provides about the ion environment. Then I will show some very simple examples about how the presence of rare earth ions opens an unexplored window to understand and control the physics of micro luminescent systems. The examples I will show cover from material science (fluorescence imaging of ultrafast laser written waveguides in crystals, local control of spontaneous emission in photonic crystals and optical characterisation of rare earth doped micro-spheres) up to life sciences (cancer cell imaging).