Francesco Michelotti

My scientific activity was devoted mainly to the study of the linear and nonlinear optical properties, of the second and third order, of dielectric and semiconducting materials. In particular I studied quantum confined systems, amorphous semiconductors, organic side-chain and conjugated polymers, molecular solids, guest-host systems. In the case of organic polymers, I studied extensively the first (Pockels) and second order (Kerr) electro-optics properties of thin films. I also carried out research on the fabrication and characterization of organic light emitting diodes and organic solar cells. During the last ten years my attention focused on biophotonics, in particular the application of Bloch surface waves (BSW) on photonic crystals for early diseases detection. The Bloch surface wave concept has also been adapted to gas detection with porous silicon photonic crystals and to photon engineering in dye sensitized solar cells. I also studied the propagation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) on thin transparent conducting oxides.