Group description

The main research focus of this group is Nanophotonics, which studies the effects that emerge in the interaction between light and matter at the nanoscale. This study is developed mainly in metallic nanostructures where the collective excitations of conduction electrons, commonly called surface plasmons, interact very effectively with optical radiation. Surface plasmons have the ability to localize and enhance optical fields at the nanoscale, which allows to overcome the diffraction limit of light. For this reason the metallic structures are called nanoplasmonic antennas or nanoantennas.

Within this research, the areas of Optoelectronics, Spectroscopy and Microscopy are identified as the technologies in which the results obtained can have the greatest impact. In optoelectronics, the establishment of new processes at the nanoscale can lead to a miniaturization of devices that could have a direct impact on the optoelectronics industry and an economic impact in the field of information and communication technologies.

Likewise, in the field of spectroscopy and nanoscopy, the improvement and implementation of new forms of detection of molecular compounds of interest in materials science, health and safety, may represent a new paradigm of identification of substances of great interest in various social and economic challenges, therefore, the advances derived from the results achieved in our group may be subject to immediate exploitation by companies interested in new biological detection solutions.

Within the group we can identify four subgroups that combine theory and experiments for the development of new light-controlled active plasmonic materials and devices

1- Nanophotonics Theory (CFM-UPV/EHU and Electricity and Electronics Dept., FCT-ZTF, UPV-EHU) It is devoted to the theoretical description of the optical properties of nanoscale structures and the optimal control of the optical signal at the nanoscale.

2- Nanomaterials and Spectroscopy Laboratory (CFM-UPV/EHU)

Focuses on spectroscopy and photonic applications of functional units at the nanoscale, including semiconductor quantum dots and quantum wires, metallic nanoparticles and nanoantennas, and organic/inorganic nanohybrid systems.

3-Nanooptics Laboratory (Nanogune, UPV-EHU)

Focuses on the development of near-field nanoscopy (scattered-field dispersive optical microscopy, s-SNOM) and infrared nanoscopy.

4- Quantum Nanoptics Laboratory (CFM-UPV/EHU)

The aim of this laboratory is to develop the necessary techniques for quantum engineering of the states of light.

These subgroups are in close scientific and academic relationship through the UPV-EHU postgraduate programs "Master in Nanoscience" and the PhD program "Physics of Materials and Nanoscience".