Lightbulb moments in Spain: Let's find out what Diana Shakirova, PhD researcher in physics, did with her RCC grant! Diana, member of the RCC Consortium NanoGraz, is using light to distinguish different chiral molecules, which can have both healing and toxic effects. She sent in a travel report from Spain.
What was the trip about?
"I gave a talk at the META 2025 conference, which took place in Málaga, Spain. META is one of the most renowned international conferences that features the latest developments in the area of Metamaterials and Nanophotonics.
In my talk, "Molecular chiral response enhanced by crosstalking quasi-bound states in the continuum", I presented how the interaction between two high-quality-factor resonant states can boost molecular chiroptical response.”
Why did this trip matter?
"The conference provided a great opportunity to discuss the latest trends in chiral nanophotonic sensing with distinguished colleagues from both the theoretical and experimental sides of the field. Moreover, delivering a talk at META 2025 allowed me to increase the visibility of our work, which has been recently published in ACS Photonics.”
Can you share some memories from your travels?
“After the conference, I had the opportunity to visit one of the most famous and spectacular canyons near Málaga -- Caminito del Rey. The strong contrast between the academic and the almost sportive activities made this trip truly memorable.”
Sounds fantastic - thanks for sending this in, Diana Shakirova!
- Find out more about RCC funding schemes
- Get to know the RCC Consortium in which Diana works: Nano Graz: https://nanograz.uni-graz.at/en/
- Read about Diana's research activities: https://www.uni-graz.at/en/news/ihnen-geht-ein-licht-auf-wie-zwei-physikerinnen-fuer-morgen-arbeiten/
- Read a recent paper on Molecular Chiral Response Enhanced by Crosstalking Quasi-Bound States in the Continuum
Picture credit: Shakirova, middle picture: Thomas Weiss
Interview: Johanna Stadlbauer, 25.3.2026