Projects
Prevention of secondary caries adjacent to tooth restorations in composite. KU Leuven
Polymerization of a composite restoration is accompanied by volumetric shrinkage, due to closer packing of the molecules when the polymer network is formed. This shrinkage can generate stress within the material, the surrounding tooth structure and at their mutual interface; as a consequence it may result in micro-cracking, interfacial de-bonding, gap formation and eventually secondary caries. The magnitude of the stress depends on the ...
Visible to near-infrared integrated ultra-broadband acousto-optic isolators KU Leuven
Photonics, the science of generating and/or processing light waves on a micrometer-scale, is enabling evermore applications, including LED-lighting, fiber-to-the-home internet, solar panels, displays and image sensors. Recent progress in nano-fabrication now also allow to produce large-scale photonic circuits on wafer-scale with CMOS-compatible processes, providing cost-effective high-quality optical systems. Imec is playing a crucial role in ...
Ultrasonic and spectroscopic parameters must be combined avoiding interferences, and the whole system must be under thermodynamic and mechanical control. KU Leuven
Surface acoustic waves on PZT thin films for particle manipulation Ghent University
Piezoelectric materials are able to convert an applied electrical signal into mechanical strain and stress. By using an electrical signal with a certain frequency, it is possible to generate an acoustic signal with the same frequency. Specially designed devices are able to generate the acoustic signals along the surface of a substrate. The generated Surface Acoustic Waves (SAWs) propagate on top of this piezoelectric substrate. Devices using ...
A silicon photonics based terahertz gas sensor Ghent University
As our world becomes more complex and the effects of human activities on the environment and
their own health increases, the need to map and understand what we expel into our surroundings
grows. Especially gases, which are often color- and odorless, often have big implications on the
health of humans and the planet as a whole. Having a sensor that is both cheap and small enough
to be used ubiquitously would enable us ...
Photoacoustic imaging of the brain with an ultrasensitive micro optomechanical ultrasound sensor array KU Leuven
Photoacoustic imaging is the youngest and most rapidly advancing medical imaging modality, anticipated to become as large as MRI and ultrasonography. It has led to new insights in the brain’s structure, functional activity and diseases by imaging anaesthetised head-restrained mice. However, to study the behaviour of freely moving awake mice at high resolutions and imaging depths, an array of small and ultrasensitive sensors are required with ...
Parallel processing of multisensory information in conscious and unconscious visual pathways. KU Leuven
We perceive the world through multiple senses that need to be integrated by the brain to produce appropriate behavior. This multisensory integration is usually ascribed to very integrative cortical areas, but recent studies suggest this could happen earlier in sensory circuits. My project aims at exploring multisensory integration at very early stages of two parallel visual pathways: the unconscious pathway, through the superior colliculus, ...
Generalized Space-Time Electromagnetic Metamaterials (GSTEMs) KU Leuven
This project explores Generalized Space-Time Electromagnetic Metamaterials – GSTEMs –, metamaterials formed by the modulation of a host medium with arbitrary space-time profile, as one of the next potential frontiers in contemporary research. As an extension of previously reported Uniform STEMs – USTEMs – they merge general relativity and classical electrodynamics towards uncharted territories of huge scientific and technological potential. ...
Socio-Affective Communication through Ultrasonic Vocalizations in Mouse Models for Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Neurexins, Neuroligins and their Functions in Parvalbumin Interneurons KU Leuven
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SCZ) are among the most heritable neuropsychiatric conditions. While available evidence points to a complex set of genetic factors, the neurexin (NRXN) and neuroligin (NLGN) gene families have emerged as one of the most promising candidates. As the diagnostic criteria for ASD and SCZ are purely behaviorally defined, the validity of mouse models strongly depends on their behavioral phenotype. ...