Rekha Gautam
Phone: 4156962061
Address: Department of Biomedical Engineering
Keck FEL Center, Suite 200
410 24th Ave. South
Nashville, TN 37232
Address: Department of Biomedical Engineering
Keck FEL Center, Suite 200
410 24th Ave. South
Nashville, TN 37232
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Papers by Rekha Gautam
exhibiting novel optical properties has become a major
scientific endeavor. One particularly interesting system is
synthetic soft matter, which plays a central role in numerous
fields ranging from life sciences, chemistry to condensed
matter and biophysics. In this paper, we review
briefly the optical force-induced nonlinearities in colloidal
suspensions, which can give rise to nonlinear self-trapping
of light for enhanced propagation through otherwise
highly scattering media such as dielectric and plasmonic
nanosuspensions. We then focus on discussing our recent
work with respect to nonlinear biological suspensions,
including self-trapping of light in colloidal suspensions
of marine bacteria and red blood cells, where the nonlinear
response is largely attributed to the optical forces
acting on the cells. Although it is commonly believed that
biological media cannot exhibit high optical nonlinearity,
self-focusing of light and formation of soliton-like waveguides
in bio-soft matter have been observed.
Furthermore, we present preliminary results on biological
waveguiding and sensing, and discuss some perspectives
towards biomedical applications. The concept may be
developed for subsequent studies and techniques
in situations when low scattering and deep penetration
of light is desired.
exhibiting novel optical properties has become a major
scientific endeavor. One particularly interesting system is
synthetic soft matter, which plays a central role in numerous
fields ranging from life sciences, chemistry to condensed
matter and biophysics. In this paper, we review
briefly the optical force-induced nonlinearities in colloidal
suspensions, which can give rise to nonlinear self-trapping
of light for enhanced propagation through otherwise
highly scattering media such as dielectric and plasmonic
nanosuspensions. We then focus on discussing our recent
work with respect to nonlinear biological suspensions,
including self-trapping of light in colloidal suspensions
of marine bacteria and red blood cells, where the nonlinear
response is largely attributed to the optical forces
acting on the cells. Although it is commonly believed that
biological media cannot exhibit high optical nonlinearity,
self-focusing of light and formation of soliton-like waveguides
in bio-soft matter have been observed.
Furthermore, we present preliminary results on biological
waveguiding and sensing, and discuss some perspectives
towards biomedical applications. The concept may be
developed for subsequent studies and techniques
in situations when low scattering and deep penetration
of light is desired.