Sculpting Waves (Presentation Recording)

In electronics controlling and manipulating flow of charged carriers has led to design of numerous functional devices. In photonics, by analogy, this is done through controlling photons and optical waves. However, the challenges and opportunities are different in these two fields. Materials control waves, and as such they can tailor, manipulate, redirect, and scatter electromagnetic waves and photons at will. Recent development in condensed matter physics, nanoscience, and nanotechnology has made it possible to tailor materials with unusual parameters and extreme characteristics and with atomic precision and thickness. One can now construct structures much smaller than the wavelengths of visible light, thus ushering in unprecedented possibilities and novel opportunities for molding fields and waves at the nanoscale with desired functionalities. At such subwavelength scales, sculpting optical fields and waves provides a fertile ground for innovation and discovery. I will discuss some of the exciting opportunities in this area, and forecast some future directions and possibilities.