Members
Hiromasa NiinomiProject Associate Professor
chiral crystallization, chiral nanophotonics, homoimmiscible water
Bio
When light irradiates metallic or dielectric nanostructures, localized surface plasmon resonances and Mie resonances can be excited, generating optical near fields that confine light to the nanoscale. Unlike the propagating far fields that have traditionally been the focus of optical science, near fields can induce unique optical phenomena and distinctive interactions with matter. Near-field offers new possibilities for controlling materials and probing their properties. Our research aims to utilize near-field–matter interactions to achieve precise control of molecular self-assembly, including crystallization, and to develop new approaches for measuring material properties that are difficult to access using conventional far-field optical techniques. We focus on controlling chiral self-organization by utilizing strongly asymmetric interactions between chiral near fields and chiral molecules, which can exceed those induced by circularly polarized light. We are also investigating the physical properties and local structure of “homoimmiscible water,” a previously unknown form of water that forms at the interface between ice and liquid water, which we have recently discovered.
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