IASBS
Centers & Labs
Department of Physics
Department of Physics
Professor Saifollah Rasouli and his research team are actively engaged in both theoretical and experimental optics, investigating the fundamental and applied aspects of wave phenomena. Their research encompasses a wide range of topics, including diffraction and Fourier optics, interferometry and moiré techniques, non-diffracting beams, singular optics, and thermal lensing.
In addition to these core areas, the team also contributes to interdisciplinary fields such as psychophysics, fluid dynamics, atmospheric turbulence, aerosol optical depth measurement, landslide detection, seismometry, and vibration analysis of large-scale structures.
The Optical Measurement Group focuses on developing advanced techniques for the precise measurement of physical parameters using structured light beams. By leveraging the unique properties of light—such as its non-contact nature, non-destructive measurement, high accuracy, and remote sensing—the group explores and develops optical applications in science, industry, and medicine. Its research aims at designing innovative methods for high-precision measurement and quality assessment, using techniques such as optical imaging, interferometry, spectrometry, and diffractometry. The group’s research includes both past and ongoing projects, such as Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM), White Light Interferometry (WLI), and the development of structured light-based techniques (SLM) to enhance measurement accuracy and resolution. The group’s mission is to advance optical metrology and deliver innovative solutions for scientific and industrial applications.
Two main activity domains of our group are the Generation, Investigation, and Applications of Structured Light Beams and the Development of 3D Imaging and
Microscopy Techniques. In addition to experimental research, theoretical and numerical studies are also conducted in both areas. Furthermore, the group is active in the field of Ultrafast Nonlinear Optics.
A significant part of the group’s experimental activities focuses on developing 3D imaging techniques, including methods such as Light-Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy
and Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy. In the realm of analytical and numerical studies, the primary focus is on the physics and applications of ultrafast nonlinear optics,
filamentation of femtosecond laser pulses, and the generation and propagation of terahertz waves.
The research activities of our laboratory focus on advanced micrometre-scale manipulations, primarily utilising two key techniques: optical tweezers and acoustic tweezers. The lab is equipped with both single-beam and double-beam optical trapping setups capable of measuring forces on the order of piconewtons. In addition, our research includes trapping micrometre-sized particles using acoustic standing waves. Notable research topics in our laboratory encompass:
• Optimisation of acoustic trapping techniques for micrometre particles
• Experimental studies in soft matter and biophysics, including investigations near soft boundaries, exploration of viscoelastic properties, analysis of microswimmer dynamics under varying physical conditions, and the mechanics of biological cells
• Development of novel optical microscopy methods
• Theoretical and experimental investigations into optimising optical trapping using various beam configurations
The Laboratory of Plasmonics (Plasmonic Lab) was founded at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS) in 2018 by Dr Jafar Mostafavi Amjad. Research in this laboratory covers a wide range of fundamental and applied fields in surface plasmon resonance (SPR), including the design and fabrication of SPR sensors, and the optimisation of the intensity and phase sensitivity of SPR sensors. The integration of experiments, computations, and theory is a key feature of this research. Experimental, theoretical, and simulation tools are employed to gain a fundamental understanding of the optical and electronic properties of plasmonic metallic nanoparticles and nanolayers for application in SPR sensors.
The Multi-Dimensional Imaging and Detection Laboratory (MDID) investigates 3D and real-time optical imaging and detection approaches and technologies. Our research is pursued in four major directions:
1. Advancing and improving the imaging methodologies
2. Integration of imaging and detection techniques with each other and with optical and acoustical trapping
3. Applications to various phenomena in soft and bio matter, fluidics, mechanical and metallurgical engineering, etc.
4. Developing products and systems for diverse applications.
We are also interested in the investigation of various phenomena in soft matter, such as active matter translocation and collective motion, optofluidic circuits, liquid-liquid interfaces, binary mixtures, microrheology, etc.
At the Amir-a‘lam Electronic Materials Lab, we mainly focus on new emerging materials that have the potential for the fabrication of versatile electronic devices. These new materials can be processed from solutions, enabling the printing of devices that are flexible and consequently wearable. Their electronic functionality arises from the electron dynamics within these materials, which govern all the physical processes in them. Our group’s mission is to study new emerging electronic materials and their electron transport properties as they appear in the form of electronic devices. By understanding electron behaviour and material functionality, these materials can be utilised as components in electronic devices such as photovoltaics, light-emitting diodes, supercapacitors, ferroelectrics, memristors, etc.
The Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) is used to image and characterise samples at the nanoscale. The tip moves in response to tip–surface interactions, and this movement is measured by focusing a laser beam with a photodiode. A wide variety of materials have been investigated using AFM, including thin and thick film coatings, composites, glasses, and synthetic and biological materials.
Company: ARA RESEARCH Co, Iran
The DST3-T is equipped with a high-current power supply and a low-voltage (resistive) thermal evaporation platform suitable for a wide variety of thermal evaporation applications.
The device features three angled cathodes with a common focal point. It can sputter from two or three (optional) targets
simultaneously or independently to form alloys or multilayers.
The magnetron desk sputter coater is equipped with RF and DC power supplies. It can sputter semiconductors, dielectrics, and metal (oxidising and noble) targets.
Company: Nanostructured Coatings co, Iran
The Cary 5E UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer is a high-performance UV-Vis and NIR instrument with superb photometric performance across the 175–3300 nm range.
This device is capable of measuring the absorption and transmission spectra of liquids and solids. It is also equipped with accessories such as the Diffuse
Reflectance Accessory, Absolute Specular Reflectance Accessory, Angle Specular Reflectance Accessory, and Rear Beam Attenuator.
Company: Varian, USA
Developed by the IASBS Computer Centre