Shear rate tomography through LaPO4:Eu nanorods' polarized photoluminescence

LaPO4:Eu nanorods show very polarized photoluminescensce (PL) spectrum. This propriety is used to measure their orientation by collecting the PL through differently oriented polarizers. This can be exploited to use nanorods as probes to measure shear inside of microchannels, since a calibration curve of orientation vs shear can be established. This technique allows to determine shear and velocity of a flux very locally differently than other known techniques. Other tan learning the technique and trying to reproduce the already published results (Kim, J., Michelin, S., Hilbers, M. et al. Nature Nanotech 12, 914–919 (2017).), my work in the team focused mainly on exploring the dynamics of the rods. In particular on the study of the rotational diffusion parameter of the rods that is an important parameter to predict the behavior of the rods in a flow. In shorts the rods orientation was not the one expected by simulations in a simple geometry and therefore a question arose on why this is the case. This thesis puts the basis to find the answer to said question.