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Chiral plasmonics
Left-handed and right-handed nanostructures, optical rotation, circular dichroism, and chiral light-matter interactions.
PhD Researcher exploring light-matter interactions in chiral nanostructures
Exploring light, chirality, and nanoscale structure.
I am a PhD researcher at the University of Glasgow working at the interface of physics, nanoscience, chemistry, and optical microscopy. My work focuses on chiral plasmonic nanostructures, fluorescence, optical spectroscopy, and nanoscale light-matter interactions.
About
A physics background, now applied to experimental nanophotonics.
My academic path began in theoretical physics, continued through nanoscience and nanotechnology, and now sits within experimental chemistry and nanophotonics. I am interested in how nanoscale structure, symmetry, and material response shape the behaviour of light.
Alongside research, I write about scientific thinking, technical learning, PhD life, health, routine, and the process of building a coherent professional identity across disciplines.
Research
Chiral plasmonics, fluorescence, and optical sensing.
My research focuses on chiral plasmonic nanostructures and their interaction with fluorescent emitters, with the aim of understanding and developing sensitive optical platforms for chiral light-matter interactions.
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Fluorescence microscopy
Photoluminescence, fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy, and time-correlated single photon counting.
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Simulation and theory
COMSOL modelling, electromagnetic field distributions, optical chirality, resonance behaviour, and nanoscale sensing.
Publications
Journal publications and academic outputs.
Selected peer-reviewed work, with links to the published article and citation details.
Journal article
Optical write-erase chemical memory state in plasmonic nanoarrays
Chemical Science, Royal Society of Chemistry · 2026
Projects
Selected work and case studies.
A mixture of research, fabrication, simulation, microscopy, data analysis, and reflective personal systems.
PhD research
Chiral plasmonic nanostructures for optical sensing
Studying how nanoscale left-handed and right-handed gold-coated structures interact with fluorescent emitters and biomolecular layers.
Case study coming soonMicroscopy and spectroscopy
Fluorescence lifetime imaging on plasmonic arrays
Using FLIM and photoluminescence measurements to study emitter behaviour near nanostructured plasmonic surfaces.
Case study coming soonSimulation
COMSOL modelling of chiral nanostructures
Building electromagnetic simulations to understand reflectivity, field distributions, optical rotation, and resonance tuning.
Case study coming soonCleanroom and devices
GaAs micro-LED fabrication and testing
Cleanroom fabrication, photolithography, metal contact deposition, lift-off, rapid thermal annealing, mesa etching, and device testing.
Case study coming soonNanomaterials
Electrospun nanofibres and SEM-based morphology analysis
Polymer-assisted electrospinning, scanning electron microscopy, and morphology analysis of fibre diameter and structure.
Case study coming soonHealth, data, and routine
A data-driven approach to staying healthy during a PhD
Using long-term weight tracking, diet structure, and routine building to improve health, energy, and focus during full-time research.
Case study coming soonLife & Writing
Snapshots from PhD life, essays, and notes.
A curated space for short dated moments from research life alongside longer essays on science, health, focus, and the process of becoming a better researcher.
Snapshots from PhD Life
Short, dated posts from conferences, group lunches, teaching moments, academic events, and everyday life around research.
22 Jul2026
UK-Japan Chirality Conference at the University of Glasgow
Two days of talks and conversations on chirality, mirror life, biosurveillance, chirality-sensitive optical methods, and the wider research community.
Jun2026
Group Lunch to Celebrate an MSc Project
A group lunch to celebrate Maria completing her MSc research project, and a reminder that research is also about the people and shared moments around the work.
Essays & Notes
Longer reflections, technical explanations, and personal essays on science, PhD life, health, focus, and scientific thinking.
The Sound of Ithaca: When Cinema Reaches Somewhere DeeperRead
Protein Banana Blueberry Loaf , a simple homemade breakfast bake that earned its placeRead
High-Protein Fruit Loaf , a richer version built through experimentationRead
A data-driven approach to staying healthy during a PhDRead
What is chiral plasmonics?Read
What fluorescence lifetime teaches beyond intensityRead
Diet, energy, and focus during research lifeRead
Learning to think across physics, chemistry, and nanotechnologyRead
CV
Download my CV
A concise overview of my education, research experience, technical skills, publications, and selected projects.
Contact