Shedding light on an exciting analytical tool

Shedding light on an exciting analytical tool

Light is all around us and in everything we do and use. One of the more technological uses for light will be the topic of an upcoming public lecture at Victoria University of Wellington.

Professor Eric Le Ru from Victoria’s School of Chemical and Physical Sciences is a specialist in the field of spectroscopy, particularly the use of lasers to examine objects.

His talk will look at the ways light interacts with different materials, and what can be learned from that.

“The way light is scattered by an object or substance reveals a wealth of information. Our eyes are able to make use of this scattered light to detect the shape and colour of an object. By shining lasers onto objects, the scattered light can provide a unique chemical fingerprint, which can be used to identify many types of molecules.”

Professor Le Ru’s lecture will give an overview of the latest developments in this cutting edge field of technology and outline work he is leading, using nanoparticles of gold and silver to boost the sensitivity of these methods.

“Laser spectroscopy could be used in areas such as food analysis, for forensically detecting traces of explosives or drugs, or even for identifying cancerous cells in tumours. By using these metallic nanoparticles to boost the signal we get from these methods, we will be able to detect even the very smallest quantities—just one or two molecules of a substance. It’s the ultimate analytical tool.”

He says he will also touch on the theoretical aspects of light-scattering, which is relevant to a range of applications. “One might be climate modelling, where scientists need information about how an aerosol particle that’s in the atmosphere will interact with light—how much it reflects light or absorbs it, for example.”

Professor Le Ru says he’s looking forward to the opportunity to present his research in a public forum, and his work has special relevance this year. “2015 is the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies. It’s a global initiative by the United Nations to raise awareness of how these kinds of technologies can provide solutions to worldwide challenges in areas like energy and health. I’m pleased to be a part of that.”

WHEN: 6pm, Tuesday 13 October

WHERE: Lecture Theatre 102, Maclaurin Building, Kelburn campus, Victoria University of Wellington

RSVP: Before Friday 9 October. Email rsvp@vuw.ac.nz with ‘Le Ru’ in the subject line, or phone 04-463 6300

This is Professor Le Ru’s inaugural lecture as Professor of Physics at Victoria University of Wellington. Our public lecture series gives you the opportunity to engage with the latest thinking on the world’s major issues.

ENDS

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