Lasers in Cells

From a single cell to a whole organism, the laser will play an increasingly important role in diagnosing and treating disease. So says Duke University bioengineer Tuan Vo-Dinh who is using the technology to peer into the genetic material of cells, to detect the earliest signs of disease in a single cell, and to non-invasively and optically biopsy tissue inside the body for the tell-tale traces of cancer. Read more.

Detecting Esophageal Cancer with Light

A tiny light source and sensors at the end of an endoscope may provide a more accurate way to identify pre-cancerous cells in the lining of the esophagus. The device holds the promise of being a less invasive method for testing patients suspected of having Barrett’s esophagus, a change in the lining of the esophagus due to acid reflux. Read more.

Breast Cancer Research

ABC News featured new technology for breast cancer by Professor Nimmi Ramanujam of the Biomedical Engineering Department, Duke University. Her device is able to alert the surgeon during the surgery whether more suspect tissue needs to be removed which helps prevent patients from undergoing multiple breast cancer surgeries. Read more.

Megapixel Camera? Try Gigapixel

By synchronizing 98 tiny cameras in a single device, electrical engineers from Duke University and the University of Arizona have developed a prototype camera that can create images with unprecedented detail. The camera’s resolution is five times better than 20/20 human vision over a 120 degree horizontal field. Read more.

Silver Nanocubes

Microscopic metallic cubes could unleash the enormous potential of metamaterials to absorb light, leading to more efficient and cost-effective large-area absorbers for sensor applications or energy-harvesting devices. Metamaterials are man-made materials that have properties often absent in natural materials. Read more.

Lasers ID Ancient Artists' Intent

Shooting a laser at a priceless 14th century painting may seem problematic. But, precisely tuned and timed, the laser system may be the only non-destructive way to get into the mind of long-dead artists like Puccio Capanna and determine his materials, techniques and intent for painting the Crucifixion around 1330 A.D. Read more.

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Welcome to Duke Photonics at Fitzpatrick

The Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics is an extensively interdisciplinary Duke effort to advance photonics and optical sciences. The institute leverages Duke's faculty from the Pratt School of Engineering, Trinity Arts and Sciences, and the Duke Medical School to explore problems at the boundary nexus of nano-bio-info-opto convergence.

The mission of the Fitzpatrick Institute is profoundly educational. The institute was founded in 2000 in part to meet an unmet industry need for graduates with the knowledge and skills to transform industrial R&D in photonics and optical science. Our faculty teach undergraduates, master's and doctoral students and foster the technical, collaboration, interdisciplinary exploration, and team-orientation skills set that enables our proteges to thrive in their chosen professions.

As an extension of our education focus, we are highly tuned to the needs of the applied optics industry. We welcome opportunities to place students for internships, to conduct sponsored research, and to broadly collaborate. We invite interested companies to explore our industry partners program.

Our research encompasses eight broad initiative areas: biophotonics, nano/micro systems, quantum optics and information photonics, advanced photonics systems, nanophotonics, metamaterials and plasmonics, systems modeling and novel spectroscopies.

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