Nieder Group
Nieder’s Ultrfatast Bio- and Nanophotonics group is engaged in exploring light-matter interactions and control within three primary domains. Firstly, advanced bioimaging and sensing involves the use of nanofunctionalised surfaces and particles with ultrafast laser technology to achieve innovative imaging and sensing capabilities in terms of resolution and multiparameter functional imaging. The group collaborates with researchers and innovators to apply novel techniques for therapeutic advancements or enhanced diagnostic tools. Secondly, in quantum photonics, the focus is on comprehending and using the emission of single quantum emitters in 2D materials or 3D crystals. These emitters could play a pivotal role if seamlessly integrated into controllable photonic platforms. Finally, the emphasis in photonic integrated devices is on developing photonic integrated chips and advanced characterisation tools to provide new paradigms in neuromorphic and quantum computation and enabling nanotechnologies for biosensing and quantum information technologies.
Research lines:
- Advanced Bioimaging and Sensing
- Photonic Integrated Devices
- Quantum Photonics-Enhanced Technologies
We are using optical labels to track smart drug delivery systems, and other innovative nanomaterials in interaction with cells and biological tissues using advanced fluorescence and nonlinear spectroscopy e.g. to measure intracellular temperature.
We use and develop new imaging techniques such as super-resolution microscopy techniques and light sources, such as quantum and plasmonic LEDs.
Our femtosecond laser sources can be used for laser-based micro-nanofabrication, e.g. of photonics crystals or 3D scaffolds for tissue engineering using two photon polymerisation.
Nonlinear multi-photon FLIM imaging modes are developed for deep tissue and cell metabolic studies.

Join the Ultrafast Bio- and Nanophotonics group!
We invite motivated students from the Bioengineering, Physics, Chemistry and related areas to contact us for possibilities to conduct research internships or #master projects in our group!
Highly motivated PhD candidates and postdocs with nanophotonics research experience, please contact jana.nieder@inl.int for further information on funding opportunities (e.g. #FCT grants, #Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship grants and others) to join the team.



