Prof Stefan Maier

Biography

• Design and characterization of plasmon waveguides in various geometries
• Supercontinuum near-field optical microscopy as a means for the study of plasmonic resonances
• Plasmonic and metamaterials research at THz frequencies

Research Interests

My main research interests are in plasmonics and nanophotonics – finding ways to confine and guide light in a controlled manner on the nanoscale, below the optical diffraction limit. The main means to achieve this lies in the exploitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs), electromagnetic surface waves supported at the interface between an electric conductor and a dielectric. Advances in electromagnetic computation tools, nanofabrication and optical nanoprobing facilities have given rise to a new research field called plasmonics, aimed at achieving control over SPPs using nanostructured metals. Prominent applications lie in waveguiding, where plasmonics could close the size gap between electrical and optical integrated networks, and particularly in optical biosensing, exploiting vastly increased light/matter interactions in plasmonic field hot spots.

Biography

• Since Nov 2007 – Reader in Nanophotonics, Experimental Solid State Group, Physics Department, Imperial College
• 2004 – 2007 Lecturer / Reader, Department of Physics, University of Bath
• 2003-2004 Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology
• 1999 – 2003 Graduate Student, Department of Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology