Project title: Light-matter interactions in photonic topological metamaterials

Supervisor: Dr Vincenzo Giannini and Professor Richard Craster

Project description: 

Photonic topological insulators (TIs) are a new class of material that promise greater control over the interactions between light and matter [1]. In particular, the edge states at the interfaces between photonic TIs and trivial materials are both robust (topologically protected) and spin-polarised (edge states of opposite spin travel in opposite directions) [2]. This project will investigate whether these novel properties of photonic TIs and their edge states can be exploited in the design of metamaterials for enhanced imaging and sensing applications.

References 

[1] Krishnamoorthy, Harish NS, et al. "Topological transitions in metamaterials." Science 336.6078 (2012): 205-209.

[2] Khanikaev, Alexander B., et al. "Photonic topological insulators." Nature materials 12.3 (2013): 233-239.