Optical seminar | 17 June 2020

Metallic and dielectric nanostructures provide distinct and unique means for shaping the electromagnetic near field, and for channelling radiation from the far field to the nanoscale. The associated electromagnetic field hot spots can be exploited for the enhancement of interactions between light and matter, most prominently for surface-enhanced spectroscopy and sensing, the boosting of non-linear interactions, and also for nanoscale spatial control over chemical reactions.

In my lecture I will approach plasmonic and dielectric nanoantennas from the viewpoint of being a means for energy conversion at the nanoscale. With example materials systems such as gold and silver (plasmonic), gallium phosphide (dielectric), and silicon carbide (polar dielectric), I will highlight applications such as non-linear optics, photon-phonon interactions for the launching of acoustic surface waves, and the plasmon-assisted triggering of redox reactions.