Missions

Optical tweezers offer a versatile approach to manipulating living cells and other microscopic objects. However, due to diffraction, objects smaller than 100 nm are almost impossible to trap using conventional microscopes. To overcome this limitation, nanophotonics allows light to be concentrated at nanometric scales. Nano-optical tweezers enable the effective trapping of nanometric objects that would otherwise be too small or too transparent to be manipulated using conventional optical tweezers. However, these plasmonic nanotweezers have their own problems: manufacturing is complex and costly, control and reproducibility are often poor, and the range of action is limited. A paradigm shift is needed

Here, we propose to use thermal gradient forces instead of optical gradient forces. Temperature gradients at the micro/nano scale can induce forces through thermosmosis and thermophoresis, which will be combined in this project to trap single nano-objects as small as 5 nm with a range of action greater than 500 nm.

The manipulation of single nano-objects (nanoparticles, quantum dots, proteins, viruses, etc.) is key to various fields of nanoscience, multiplying the potential impact of optically controlled thermal tweezers. This innovative approach will enable the exploration of a whole new territory of optical tweezers down to the single molecule level. The results of this project will advance the fields of nano-optical trapping, nanophotonics and single-molecule biophysics, and will benefit a wide range of detection applications.

Activités

- sample preparation,
- conducting optical microscopy experiments
- analysing results,
- writing reports and articles

Compétences

To apply, candidates must hold an internationally recognised PhD in physics, chemistry or engineering. Experience in a scientific project involving either nanophotonics, optical microscopy, single-molecule fluorescence techniques and/or optical trapping would be highly appreciated.

Contexte de travail

The Fresnel Institute is a national research laboratory based in Marseille, France, dedicated to research and higher education, affiliated with the CNRS and the University of Aix-Marseille. The Fresnel Institute is looking for talented and enthusiastic young scientists who are highly motivated to advance their careers in the fields of nanoscience, biosensing and nanotechnology/biotechnology.
This recruitment is part of the ANR NanoThermoPockets project, in partnership with the L2N University of Technology of Troyes (UTT). The fixed-term researcher will be based in Marseille under the direct supervision of Jérôme Wenger and will be part of the Mosaic team.

Le poste se situe dans un secteur relevant de la protection du potentiel scientifique et technique (PPST), et nécessite donc, conformément à la réglementation, que votre arrivée soit autorisée par l'autorité compétente du MESR.