From Microtoroids to Single Molecules: Modeling-Enabled Ultrasensitive Optical Sensing
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Whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) microtoroid resonators confine light in extremely small volumes for extended periods of time, creating strong light–matter interactions and exceptional sensitivity to nanoscale perturbations. The Little Sensor Lab harnesses these properties through the frequency-locked optical whispering evanescent resonator (FLOWER) platform for ultrasensitive biomedical diagnostics, cutting-edge drug discovery, and early-warning toxic gas detection.
In this webinar, Dr. Judith Su, Craig M. Berge Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor of Optical Sciences and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Arizona, where she directs the Little Sensor Lab will discuss development of microtoroid-based optical sensors and how modeling and simulation complement experiments throughout this process. Examples will illustrate how simulations of optical fields and resonator behavior help us understand interactions between light and nanoscale objects, interpret experimentally measured signals, and explore sensor designs and operating conditions. Professor Su will highlight how these computational insights connect with experimental measurements and have helped guide the evolution of the FLOWER platform toward increasingly sensitive measurements.
The talk will focus on the physical insights gained from combining modeling with experiment, rather than on specific simulation techniques. Attendees will see how computational modeling can provide physical intuition, inform experimental design, and help translate the extraordinary sensitivity of microtoroid resonators into practical tools for investigating nanoscale and molecular phenomena.
Speaker:
Judith Su
raig M. Berge Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor of Optical Sciences and Biomedical Engineering
University of Arizona
Judith Su is a Craig M. Berge Faculty Fellow and associate professor of optical sciences and biomedical engineering at the University of Arizona, where she directs the Little Sensor Lab. She received her BS and MS in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and her PhD in biochemistry and molecular biophysics from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Her lab develops next-generation optical sensing platforms and uses them in collaboration with leading researchers to address critical challenges in science, medicine, and society.
Dr. Su is a fellow of Optica and the international society for optics and photonics (SPIE). Her honors include a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award, an National Institute of Health (NIH) R35 Outstanding Investigator Award, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Rising Star Award, the Journal of Physics: Photonics Early Career Award, and recognition on the Photonics100 list of the field’s most innovative people. Her work was recently featured on the cover of the _Optics & Photonics News_ Optics in 2025 issue.
Dr. Su has given a keynote presentation at SPIE Photonics West and has held leadership roles in major international photonics conferences. She is a three-time general cochair of Optica’s Integrated Photonics Research (IPR) Conference. She has also served on the Board of Scientific Counselors for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and currently serves on the Steering Committee for the Human Exposome Project.
