Hyperbolic nanooptics

Novel quantum two-dimensional (2D) materials—such as graphene, topological insulators, or atomically thin crystal monolayers—have recently attracted great attention within the scientific community. They are particularly appealing for optics and nanophotonics, as 2D materials exhibit an exceptionally strong response to electromagnetic fields across different frequency ranges, making them ideal for manipulating light at the nanoscale, down to the atomic scale.

Research in this direction has already revealed spectacular physical phenomena, such as hyperbolic light or reconfigurable (“printable”) 2D nanofocusing and superlensing. Moreover, 2D materials are considered highly promising for a variety of optoelectronic applications, including (bio)sensing, photodetection, and optical data processing. Despite these advances, nanophotonics of 2D materials remains largely unexplored, and fundamental concepts of light–matter interaction must still be studied and understood.

We invite talented and highly motivated candidates with a background in physics to join this exciting research project, which will focus on the theoretical study of optical effects in atomically thin layers. The project will also involve close interaction with several experimental groups, offering the candidate the opportunity to work at the very frontiers of nanophotonics research.