Infrared (IR) spectroscopy offers a powerful method for monitoring the efficiency of drugs in blood. However, the application of this technique is somewhat limited by its relatively low sensitivity. We have previously demonstrated that micro-scale patterned ‘photonic metasurfaces’, could enhance the light-matter interactions and improve the linear IR signals by 10-100 times. This allows the detection of molecules in much smaller concentrations and paves the way for IR spectroscopy as an analytical method. In this multidisciplinary project, linking physical chemistry, physics, and biomedical science, we will extend the use of photonic metasurfaces to nonlinear IR laser spectroscopy, enhancing our ability to investigate drug molecules binding to proteins. Training will be provided for the successful candidate in both laser spectroscopy and metasurface design. The student will work closely with Prof. Neil Hunt’s group (Chemistry) and Prof. Thomas Krauss’s Group (Physics, Engineering and Technology), allowing exposure to multidisciplinary research, important for modern research scientists. Students will be expected to present their findings orally at a research day in York in September 2023.