Merging Metamaterials with Quantum Photonics
Speaker: Vladimir Shalaev, Purdue
Abstract: Over the past decade, one of the major focuses for the area of nanophotonics has been on developing a new class of “plasmonic” structures and “metamaterials” as potential building blocks for advanced optical technologies, including data processing, exchange and storage; a new generation of cheap, enhanced-sensitivity sensors; nanoscale-resolution imaging techniques; new concepts for energy conversion including improved solar cells, as well as novel types of light sources. Designing plasmonic metamaterials with versatile properties that can be tailored to fit almost any practical need promises a range of potential breakthroughs. However, to enable these new technologies based on plasmonics, grand limitations associated with the use of metals as constituent materials must be overcome. In the structures demonstrated so far, too much light is absorbed in the metals (such as silver and gold) commonly used in plasmonic metamaterials. The fabrication and integration of metal nanostructures with existing semiconductor technology is challenging, and the materials need to be more precisely tuned so that they possess the proper optical properties to enable the required functionality. Our recent research aims at developing new designs and plasmonic materials (other than the metals used so far) that will form the basis for future low-loss, durable, CMOS-compatible devices that could enable full-scale development of the plasmonic and metamaterial technologies. Can these recently developed plasmonic structures and metamaterials based on new material platforms help in unfolding the potential of quantum photonics? We report on our first efforts in that direction
Biosketch: Scientific Director for Nanophotonics in Birck Nanotechnology Center and Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University, specializes in nanophotonics, plasmonics, and optical metamaterials. Vlad Shalaev received several awards for his research in the field of nanophotonics and metamaterials, including the Max Born Award of the Optical Society of America for his pioneering contributions to the field of optical metamaterials, the Willis E. Lamb Award for Laser Science and Quantum Optics, Rolf Landauer medal of the ETOPIM (Electrical, Transport and Optical Properties of Inhomogeneous Media) International Association, and the UNESCO Medal for the development of nanosciences and nanotechnologies, He is a Fellow of the IEEE, APS, SPIE, MRS and OSA. Prof. Shalaev authored three books, twenty-six invited book chapters and over 400 research publications.