Seminars

Of Light, Electrons, and Metamaterials

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Dr. Nader Engheta

Abstract

In my group we have been developing the concept of “optical metatronics”, i.e. metamaterial-inspired optical nanocircuitry, in which the three fields of “electronics”, “photonics” and “magnetics” can be merged together. In such a paradigm, the concept of metamaterials and plasmonics optics can be exploited to bridge the gaps among these fields, to modularize, standardize, and parameterize some of the optical and electronic phenomena, and to transplant concepts from one field into another. In this unified platform of optical metatronics, the nanostructures with specific values of permittivity and permeability may act as the optical lumped circuit elements at the nanoscale, analogous to the circuit elements in RF electronics. Nonlinearity in metatronics can also provide us with novel optical nonlinear lumped elements. Optical nanoantennas can link the “macroworld” with such “nanoworld” in optical metatronics. We have investigated the concept of metatronics through extensive analytical and numerical studies, computer simulations, and recently in a set of experiments at the IR wavelengths. We have also been exploring how metamaterials can also be exploited to control the flow of photons, analogous to what semiconductors do for electrons, providing the possibility of one-way flow of photons, photon diodes, and photon capacitors. We are now extending the concept of metatronics to other platforms such as graphene as a new paradigm for metatronic circuitry and also as one-atom-thick metamaterials and one-atom-thick transformation optical devices. I will present an overview of some of our most recent results in these topics and discuss future directions and potentials.

Speaker Biography

Nader Engheta is the H. Nedwill Ramsey Professor of Electrical and Systems Engineering, and Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania. He received his BS degree from the University of Tehran, and his MS and Ph.D. degrees from Caltech. Selected as one of the 2006 Scientific American 50 Leaders in Science and Technology for developing the concepts of lumped optical nanocircuit elements, he is a Guggenheim Fellow, an IEEE Third Millennium Medalist, a Fellow of IEEE, OSA, American Physical Society (APS), American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and SPIE-International Society for Optical Engineering, and the recipient of the George H. Heilmeier Award for Excellence in Research, Fulbright Naples Chair Award, and NSF Presidential Young Investigator (PYI) award, and several teaching awards such as Christian F. and Mary R. Lindback Foundation Award, the S. Reid Warren Jr. award and W. M. Keck Foundation award. He is selected to receive the 2012 IEEE Electromagnetics Award.