Patrizio Vaiano

Patrizio Vaiano (P.V.) earned his Master’s degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of Naples “Federico II” in 2013. He has been actively engaged in research since 2014—initially as a PhD student in Information Technology for Engineering, and from 2018 as a post-doctoral researcher—collaborating with the Optoelectronics Group within the Department of Engineering at the University of Sannio, led by Professors Andrea Cusano and Antonello Cutolo. Since the beginning of his doctoral studies, he has also collaborated with the Regional Center for Information and Communication Technology (CeRICT) and, as of 2018, with the ‘Center for Nanophotonics and Optoelectronics for Human Health’ (CNOS) research infrastructure, where he served as a ‘Senior Researcher.’

Throughout his research career, P.V. has investigated light-matter interaction mechanisms in optical devices, focusing primarily on the design and development of sensing platforms based on ‘Lab-on-Fiber’ technology. In the initial phase of his research, he concentrated on the development and experimental validation of biological sensors based on long-period fiber gratings (LPGs), which were coated with thin films to enhance their sensitivity. The findings from these studies are compiled in his doctoral thesis, titled "Lab-on-Fiber Biosensing based on Long-Period Grating Platforms."

During his doctoral studies, P.V. He has also contributed to the development of fiber-optic sensor platforms for the detection of chemical substances via fluorescence measurements, as well as to the development and testing of fiber-optic sensor platforms for high-energy physics applications—based, respectively, on Long-Period Gratings (LPGs), "Lab-on-Fiber" technology, and radiochromic films integrated onto fiber-optic probes.

As a post-doctoral researcher, P.V. focused on the development of "Lab-on-Fiber" platforms based on the integration of metasurfaces within thin films deposited on the tip of an optical fiber. His work spanned a range of areas, from plasmonic and dielectric materials to label-free biosensing of tumor markers, fluorescence-based biosensing, and devices for advanced light manipulation.

During the same period, P.V. contributed to the development of platforms designed to couple light from the core to the cladding of an optical fiber, with the aim of enabling controlled drug delivery.

Through these activities, P.V. developed expertise in the design and simulation of photonic and optoelectronic devices—including those based on optical fiber technology—as well as in the fabrication of such devices using micro- and nanofabrication techniques. He also gained experience in the morphological and optical characterization of these devices, and in their validation across various application fields, including physical, chemical, and biological sensing.

His research has involved collaborations with several national and international research groups, resulting in joint, internationally significant publications, as well as various patents and utility models.