Insights into the nanoworld

How can structures be visualized that are far smaller than conventional light microscopes can detect? With tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS), Volker Deckert has established a method that enables precise insights into the nanoworld of molecules – without the use of markers. For his pioneering work, he was honoured with the Willis E. Lamb Award.

Prof. Dr Volker Deckert from the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz-IPHT) and Friedrich Schiller University Jena is one of the leading and internationally recognized experts in TERS and nanospectroscopy in life sciences. For his outstanding contributions in this field, on 8 January 2025 in Snowbird, USA, he received the Willis E. Lamb Award for Laser Science and Quantum Optics.

Pioneer of tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Deckert's research focuses on Raman spectroscopy, optical near-field microscopy and plasmon amplification. Together with his team in the "Nanoscopy" research department at Leibniz IPHT, he is developing marker-free methods that can analyse chemical and biological systems in detail. The researchers are working on continuously improving the spatial resolution of these technologies in order to precisely visualize even molecular structures.

"TERS makes it possible to detect molecular structures below the optical diffraction limit – without the use of additional dyes," explains Deckert. The technology opens up a wide range of applications, including in materials science and medicine. It offers great potential, particularly in research into disease mechanisms and in the development of new therapies.

From Würzburg via Zurich to Jena

After studying chemistry and completing his doctorate on Raman spectroscopy in Würzburg, Deckert researched high-resolution Raman techniques at the University of Tokyo and ETH Zurich. After holding positions in Dresden and Dortmund, he has been a professor at Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Head of the Nanoscopy Research Department at Leibniz IPHT since 2009.

A prize with a high profile: the Willis E. Lamb Award

Since 1998, the Willis E. Lamb Award has annually honoured outstanding achievements in laser science and quantum optics. The award is named after the Nobel Prize winner in Physics, Willis E. Lamb and is sponsored by the "Physics of Quantum Electronics" (PQE) conference and awarded at the PQE Winter Colloquium in Snowbird, Utah. In addition to Volker Deckert, the 2025 award winners are Luiz Davidovich and J. Gary Eden.