Ediz Herkert

Ph.D. in Photonics · Nanofabrication & Nanophotonics · Barcelona, Spain

Updated

I am a photonics scientist with 10+ years of experience in nanofabrication, cleanroom processes, and photonic sensor design. My expertise covers the full development cycle of photonic devices, from design and simulation to fabrication and testing, across plasmonic metasurfaces, 2D materials, and fiber-coupled and FTIR-based optical sensors. My work has resulted in several peer-reviewed publications, including in ACS Nano and ACS Sensors, and an open-source Python library for parameter estimation under non-Gaussian noise.

Experience

Postdoctoral Researcher

ICFO Prof. Niek van Hulst and Prof. Frank Koppens Barcelona, Spain

2024 — Present

  • Develop infrared gas sensors that combine surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) with 2D materials for on-chip spectroscopy.
  • Design (FDTD, FEM), fabricate (EBL, MLA, PVD, ALD, RIE), and characterize (SEM, AFM, Raman) nanophotonic devices.
  • Initiated and co-organize the Nanofabrication Seminars at ICFO (10+ seminars).

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Ph.D. Researcher in Photonics

ICFO Prof. María García-Parajo Barcelona, Spain

2019 — 2024

  • Designed (FDTD), fabricated (EBL, PVD), and tested (fluorescence spectroscopy) plasmonic sensors for multicolor single-molecule fluorescence detection at micromolar concentrations.
  • Published four papers, including ACS Nano (2023) and ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2024).
  • Collaborated within a European training network (MUSIQ), including joint research with Cardiff University and workshops at GSK.

Research Assistant

Max Planck Institute for Medical Research Prof. Stefan Hell Heidelberg, Germany

2017

  • Characterized the spatial coherence of light sources for super-resolution microscopy.

Research Assistant

University of Stuttgart Prof. Harald Giessen Stuttgart, Germany

2013 — 2017

  • Fabricated (PVD, IBE) and characterized a low-cost nanophotonic hydrogen sensor with fiber-coupled illumination and readout, covering 50–100,000 ppm (ACS Sensors 2020).

Education

Ph.D. in Photonics

ICFO

2019 — 2024

With distinction; designed, fabricated, and tested plasmonic sensors for multicolor single-molecule fluorescence detection at micromolar concentrations.

M.Sc. in Photonic Engineering

University of Stuttgart

2016 — 2019

German grade 1.1 (with distinction); ranked 1st of 17; thesis on the scattering simulation and characterization of disordered plasmonic metasurfaces.

Erasmus+ exchange

KTH Royal Institute of Technology

2018

Swedish grade B (very good); coursework in machine learning and satellite data processing.

B.Sc. in Physics

University of Stuttgart

2012 — 2015

German grade 1.6 (very good); ranked 10th of 81; thesis on large-area plasmonic hydrogen sensors.

Awards

  • Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship, EU Horizon 2020 (2019)
  • ZEISS Hackathon · 1st place (2017)
  • ZEISS Hackathon · 3rd place (2019)

Skills

  • Electron-beam and photolithography
  • Thin films (PVD, ALD)
  • Etching (RIE, IBE)
  • Characterization (SEM, AFM, Raman)
  • Spectroscopy (infrared absorption, fluorescence)
  • Simulation (FDTD, FEM)
  • Programming (Python, MATLAB, Git)

Languages

German and Turkish (native)English (C2)Spanish (C1)