Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Email: hutzat@berkeley.edu
Office: Hildebrand Hall 231
Labs: Hildebrand D54, D52, D43a, D45, D42, D91
Research Interests
Nanoscience, nanophotonics, single molecule spectroscopy, quantum optics, colloidal inorganic nanostructures, bio-nanophotonics, materials chemistry.
The Utzat group is an experimental research effort concerned with understanding and harnessing the light-matter interaction in nanoscale materials. Currently, we follow two interconnected research schemes.
Colloidal Semiconductor Nanocrystals, Emerging Single-Photon Emitters, Optical Nanoscopy.
We aim to synthesize emerging semiconductor materials with tailored optical properties down to the level of individual excitations. Understanding material structure across the molecular, nano-, and mesoscale and how it dictates optical properties forms the foundation of our efforts. Our objective is to gain exquisite control over photonic, electronic, spin, and vibrational degrees of freedom and their couplings. Our work uncovers fundamental science and provides new materials for optoelectronics, including single-photon sources, light-emitting diodes, and nanoscale lasers.
Nano-Optics, Photonically-Enhanced Optical Spectroscopy, Single-Molecule Bio-Sensing.
We develop new methods in optical single-molecule spectroscopy and sensing that harness nanophotonics and micro-cavities to achieve higher sensitivity measurements in bio-nanophotonics. Key concepts include surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), new SERS enhancement platforms, nanocavity-enhanced refractive-index sensing, and quantum-enhanced optical measurements. Our work provides the basis for next-generation tools to unravel biomacromolecular processes at the level of single molecules.
Biography
- Assistant Professor, University of California at Berkeley, College of Chemistry (since 2022)
- Post-doc, Stanford University, Department of Materials Science and Engineering (2022)
- Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2019)
- M.Sc. in Chemistry, ETH Zurich (2013)
- B.Sc. in Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University (2008-2011)