My research centres on the optical and structural characterisation of materials using ellipsometry and spectroscopy — techniques that probe how polarised light interacts with a surface to reveal both optical and mechanical properties. Mueller matrix ellipsometry, in particular, offers a remarkably rich window into materials, making it especially well suited to the systems I study.
A central theme of my work is structured materials, with a particular focus on chiral structures — those whose architecture has a built-in handedness, like a left- or right-twisting spiral. These appear in surprising places. Some of the most elegant examples are biological: the iridescent exoskeletons of beetles such as Cetonia aurata, the rose chafer common across Sweden, and Chrysina argenteola, a strikingly metallic-looking scarab from Central and South America. Their cuticles contain helical nanostructures that reflect light in ways we are still learning to replicate. Alongside these natural systems, I also study artificial chiral nanostructures designed and fabricated in the lab, where the geometry and composition can be tuned to achieve specific optical responses.
Beyond structured materials, my work extends to the optical analysis of semiconductors and transparent materials, including the hard cover glasses used in consumer electronics such as mobile phone screens. These are interesting systems in their own right, and ellipsometry turns out to be a useful tool for getting at their properties.
Teaching
I teach primarily within the areas of wave physics and optics, and I am also involved in a number of other courses across the programme. A part of teaching I particularly enjoy is developing laboratory exercises and interactive demonstrations — finding ways to make abstract concepts tangible, and giving students something they can actually see, measure, or manipulate. The back-and-forth between research and teaching is something I value too; questions from students often sharpen the way I think about my own work, and the topics I research find their way naturally into the classroom.
