Ricardo Decca

Ricardo Decca serves as Professor and Department Chair of Physics at Indiana University's College of Arts and Sciences, and co-directs the Nanoscale Imaging Center. His laboratory operates two custom-built Near-field Scanning Optical Microscopy (NSOM) systems for nanoscale investigations.

His educational background includes a 1996 Post Doctorate in Physics from the University of Maryland, College Park; a 1994 Ph.D. in Physics from Instituto Balseiro, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Argentina; and a 1988 B.S. in Physics from the same institution. His research spans four primary domains: photodefined nanowires in high-temperature superconductors using NSOM-induced oxygen migration; spectroscopic analysis of quantum dots through photoluminescence and inelastic light scattering; NSOM-based tracking of fluorescent molecules in biomembranes to study diffusion properties; and experimental searches for deviations from Newtonian gravity at submicron ranges using isotope-coated microelectromechanical systems.

Decca's experimental work focuses on precision force measurements at nanoscale dimensions, particularly investigating Casimir forces and potential new interactions beyond standard gravitational models. His laboratory develops specialized NSOM instrumentation operating from room temperature down to liquid helium conditions, enabling non-invasive studies of condensed matter systems. Current projects include characterizing photoinduced Josephson junctions in YBCO superconductors, quantifying dipole-dipole interactions between quantum dots, and visualizing nanoscale domains in lipid bilayers.

As Department Chair and Co-Director of the Nanoscale Imaging Center, Decca oversees research infrastructure housing custom NSOM systems and microelectromechanical experimental apparatus. His laboratory maintains active collaborations in condensed matter physics and nanotechnology, with emphasis on developing novel techniques for force measurement and nanoscale characterization at the intersection of physics, materials science, and biophysics.