Yueming Yan
Graduate Student, Physics
Richard Haglund Research Group
Converting low-energy infrared photons into visible and ultraviolet light through nonlinear optical processes is a fascinating challenge. Traditional upconversion relies on bulk crystals that require strict phase-matching and careful alignment, but I’ve focused on metal and semiconductor nanoparticles. Their tunable plasmon resonances offer a path toward ultrathin, chip-scale devices that can generate multiple wavelengths at once. This led me to explore plasmon-enhanced harmonic generation in metal-semiconductor nanoparticle structures with potential applications in spectroscopy, sensing, and biomedical imaging.
VINSE has been a valuable resource for my research. While I synthesize my nanoparticles in a chemistry lab, understanding their optical behavior has required tools such as TEM, SEM, AFM, and profilometry. These instruments, along with the VINSE staff who support them, have helped me link upconversion behavior to particle shape, orientation, and film quality. When I was struggling to control the spacing between nanoparticle layers for a plasmonic coupling experiment, the staff suggested trying electron-beam deposition. That insight made all the difference and ultimately contributed to the work that earned me the VINSE Best Publication Award.
Outside the lab, I recharge by working out, cooking, playing video games like Elden Ring, Dark Souls, and Persona 5, and watching Japanese animation. These hobbies keep me balanced and remind me why curiosity, both scientific and personal, directs everything I do.