Lewis MacKenzie

Former Post-Doctoral Research Associate 

What do you do?

I am a former postdoctoral research associate, having worked on the development of new chiro-optical spectroscopy techniques in the group of Professor Robert Pal.

How are you involved in this area of science? 

Working as part of a close-knit team, I built, developed, and tested innovative chiro-optical spectroscopy technologies. These new technologies could analyse the light from left and right handed molecules, and therefore decode information about the structure of the light emitting molecules under
study.

Importantly, the new technology could do this around one hundred thousand times faster than previous technologies! This breakthrough capability has applications in the areas of biosciences, quantum technologies, and advanced security inks. 

What do you love about this topic?

Chiro-optical spectroscopies lies at the intersection of chemistry, physics, and biology! I got to work with chemists who precision-engineered intricate and beautiful molecules. I also got to learn about detailed aspects of life science and quantum mechanics. Most of all, I enjoyed working in the optics lab as part of a great team! 

How does this work deliver real-world impact?

The spectroscopy designs we pioneered at Durham have been influential in the field, having already been adopted by other scientists. Outside the laboratory, these technologies could be used for rapid verification of high-security items, like passports and bank notes. Before our work this would have taken ~1 hour per item. Now it can be done in a matter of milliseconds!