Abstract
Optical antennas are at the heart of many transformative advancements in nanophotonics research. By engineering the radiation patterns from optical antennas, researchers can construct novel optical metamaterials and directional light emitters. In this presentation, we describe myriad efforts to measure and manipulate antenna radiation patterns in two distinct materials systems: semiconductor nanostructures and self-assembled molecular materials. We will show how measurements of radiation patterns reveal new insight into the optical properties of these nanomaterials. We will subsequently describe various approaches for exploiting antenna radiation patterns to make new classes of infrared metamaterials and organic photovoltaics.
Biography
Professor Jon A. Schuller graduated from UCSB with a B.S. degree in physics before completing a Ph.D. in Applied Physics at Stanford University. His doctoral work on nanophotonics, the study of light-matter interactions at nanometer length-scales, comprised research in plasmonics, metamaterials, and CMOS-compatible photonics. As a Fellow of the Columbia University Energy Frontier Research Center, he applied nanophotonics concepts and techniques towards the fundamental study of solar cell materials and design. Jon joined the electrical and computer engineering department at UC Santa Barbara in the summer of 2012. He is the recipient of an AFOSR Young Investigator Award and NSF CAREER award.
