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Applied Nanophotonics
“Applied NanoPhotonics: there's more to light than meets the eye”
Optics has revolutionized fields as various as data storage and long-distance telecommunication. Optical systems have a chance to become even more ubiquitous in other areas, like today's smart devices, but this step requires further miniaturization. The example of electronics shows us that miniaturization will sooner or later hit physical limitations. In the case of optics this will be in the nanoworld. Working with optics on this scale requires new concepts to be developed and many questions to be answered: How can we shrink the dimensions of optical structures to or even below the wavelength limit? To what extend can we build so-called "meta materials" that have specially engineered optical properties by nanostructuring? How can we miniaturize lasers, reduce their threshold and increase their yield? How can one make high-sensitivity optical detectors, e.g. for medical applications, and integrate them in low-cost labs on a chip? And on the more fundamental side: Can single emitters be controlled efficiently and embedded into nanophotonic structures? Can we use nanophotonics to study complex (molecular) systems and can we tailor light to efficiently steer their behavior? Are there opportunities to exploit the quantum character of light for new functionality? The goal of our SRO is to address some of these questions exploiting the expertise in MESA+ groups.
The Strategic Research Orientation (SRO) Applied Nanophotonics (ANP) started in October 2009 with the arrival of Pepijn Pinkse from the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics in Garching to become ANP program director at MESA +. ANP fosters new research and develops new expertise on a few key areas. For instance by means of ANP group meetings, colloquia and workshops, ANP stimulates cooperation between the research groups at MESA + that have a strong optics focus including COPS, IOMS, LPNO, NBP, and OS.
Latest news
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16&17 June 2011: ANP Workshop in Ootmarsum ANP organizes the second annual ANP workshop. Between 60 and 70 participants from NBP, COPS, IOMS, LPNO, OS assembled in Ootmarssum, ... read more |
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15 June 2011: First ANP spin-off company COPS alumnus Ivo Vellekoop who did pioneering wavefront shaping experiments, has started the first ever ANP spin-off company. Vellekoop is now a scientific consultant offering preliminary scientific research services, specialized in optics and wave propagation. ... read more |
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09 June 2011: ANP researchers obtain prestigious research grants Together with 2 more MESA+ researchers, Allard Mosk (COPS) receives an prestigious ERC starting grant for 1.5 M€. |
