Research Overview

Professor Rothberg's interests are in the general areas of experimental chemical, biological and condensed matter physics. His group carries out research in three main areas. One of these is understanding molecular electronic materials with an eye to elucidating the physics necessary to use these for light-emitting display technology, organic solar cells and electrooptic switching. This work includes collaborative studies with Eastman Kodak, Professor Chen in chemical engineering and Professor Galvin at the University of Delaware. The second area involves fundamental studies of the enhancement of optical properties by metal nanoparticle plasmon resonance. These include single molecule Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy as well as nonlinear optics. Finally, the group has several projects in biomolecular sensing and develops new assays that are useful for clinical and research applications. These are based on optical or electrical detection of small quantities of unmodified oligonucleotides or important proteins. Each of these projects is in collaboration with personnel at the Medical School.

Research Interests

• experimental condensed-matter physics

Selected Publications

• Single Chain Spectroscopy of Conformational Dependence of Conjugated Polymer Photophysics
  T. Huser, M. Yan and L.J. Rothberg
  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.97, 11187-11191 (2000)
• Enhancement of Platinum Octaethyl Porphyrin Phosphorescence Near Nanotextured Silver Surfaces
  S. Pan, L.J. Rothberg
  J. Am. Chem. Soc.,127 (16), 6087-6094 (2005)
• Reflective interferometric detection of label-free oligonucleotide
  J. Lu, C. Strohsahl, B.L. Miller and L.J. Rothberg
  Anal. Chem.,76 (15), 4416-4420 (2004)
• Colorimetric detection of DNA sequences based on electrostatic interactions with gold nanoparticles
  H.X. Li and L.J. Rothberg
  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA101, 14036-14939 (2001)
• Conformational Effects on the Photophysics of Conjugated Polymers: A Two Species Model for MEH-PPV Spectroscopy and Dynamics
  C.J. Collison, L.J. Rothberg, V. Treemaneekarn and Y. Li
  Macromolecules34 (7), 2346-2352 (2001)