Plasmonics and metamaterials explore ways to control light at dimensions smaller than its wavelength by engineering the electromagnetic response of materials and nanostructures. In these systems, optical fields can couple to collective electronic or lattice excitations in solids, creating hybrid modes known as polaritons that allow light to be confined and manipulated far below the diffraction limit.

Our research investigates nanostructured photonic materials that enhance light–matter interactions in the infrared. A major theme is the use of plasmonic and metamaterial structures to improve the efficiency and functionality of semiconductor optoelectronic devices, including infrared emitters, detectors, and sensing platforms. Nanostructured metals and dielectric resonators can concentrate optical fields, modify radiative emission rates, and improve light extraction from semiconductor devices.

In the mid-infrared, an emerging direction involves surface phonon polaritons (SPhPs) in polar dielectric materials. These modes arise from the coupling of infrared light to optical phonons in crystals and can confine electromagnetic energy at subwavelength scales with lower losses than traditional plasmonic structures. Because of their strong field localization and narrow resonances, SPhP-based structures are promising for infrared nanophotonics, chemical sensing, and engineered thermal emission.

Our group explores how nanostructured photonic environments, such as metasurfaces, resonant cavities, and phonon-polariton materials, can be integrated with semiconductor devices to enhance emission, absorption, and nonlinear optical interactions. These approaches enable new device architectures for infrared emitters, detectors, and quantum photonic systems, where the local photonic environment plays a central role in determining device performance.