Optical properties of hybrid nanostructures

Optical properties of hybrid nanostructures

The junior research group investigates nanostructured devices for spectroscopy, microscopy, photovoltaics and catalysis. The fundamental optical response of plasmonic and dielectric systems is considered from a classical electromagnetic perspective, including properties of amorphous materials, rough interfaces, nonlinear and semi-classical interactions. The aim is to realistically describe complex nanoparticle distributions and ultrathin multilayers with reliable and rapid methods of computational nanophotonics while extending its scope towards multiphysics aspects.

Nonlinear and non-classical properties of amorphous Iridium heterostructures as well as mutlilayers are investigated within the CRC 1375 NOA "Nonlinear optics down to atomic scales" together with experimental groups at the Institute of Applied Physics. Hereby, we develop and implement analytical models and numerical methods for a realistic description of the experimental situation.

With respect to multiphysics processes, we are interested in soft plasmonics, where charge interactions in ionic systems are studied in analogy to plasmons in solid metals. This can be used to describe, e.g. electrolytes or biological systems, such as nerve cell signaling.