Events

Exploiting Nanoscale Structures for Enhanced Light-Matter Interactions

Sharon Weiss, Chair in Engineering and Professor at Vanderbilt University

Presented in-person in Goergen 101 and on Zoom

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Abstract

This talk will focus on enhanced light-matter interactions that can be achieved using strategically designed nanoscale structures. First, we will discuss photonic metacrystals, a new class of photonic crystals that leverage deep subwavelength engineering of the unit cell to synergistically combine metamaterial concepts with on-chip guided-wave photonics. Design rules for photonic metacyrstals will be presented, highlighting additional degrees of freedom in the design space that enable added control of light-matter interactions. Applications that can benefit from using photonic metacrystals will be introduced, including on-chip modulators, optical biosensors, optical nanotweezers, and quantum information systems. Perspectives on scalable foundry fabrication of photonic metacrystals will also be provided. Second, we will briefly highlight enhanced light-matter interaction that can be achieved by using nanoscale porous materials for optical biosensing. A new paper-based biosensor platform incorporating porous silicon will be introduced with the goal of developing improved quantitative rapid diagnostic tests.

Biography

Sharon Weiss is a Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair in Engineering and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Physics, and Materials Science at Vanderbilt University. She also serves as Director of the Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, an institute that drives innovation in nanoscience research, immersive education, and science outreach. Prof. Weiss received her Ph.D. degree from the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester. Her research group primarily focuses on silicon photonics for optical communication/datacom and optical biosensing, as well as investigating the performance of photonic integrated circuits for aerospace applications. Prof. Weiss is a Fellow of SPIE, Optica, and AAAS and has been awarded a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, National Science Foundation CAREER award, Army Research Office Young Investigator Award, and IEEE Photonics Society Distinguished Lecturer award, as well as a Vanderbilt School of Engineering Excellence in Teaching Award and Chancellor’s Award for Research.