Thin Film Nanophotonics

Thin film coatings are widely used in optics and photonics to control light through interference effects. These coatings, composed of multiple layers of thin materials, are typically employed in applications such as anti-reflective (AR) coatings, which reduce glare on lenses and screens, and dielectric mirrors, which reflect specific wavelengths of light with high efficiency. Thin film coatings rely mainly on interference and resonance effects to realize almost all of their optical functionalities. 

The QPANG lab capitalizes on the shared physics between thin film coatings and other nanophotonic systems that also mostly rely on interference and resonances. By leveraging these principles, we aim to push the boundaries of thin films beyond their traditional applications and explore new possibilities in the field of nanophotonics.

Our research focuses on several innovative applications, including solar spectrum filters,  structural coloring, photonic computing,and meta-optics through designing thin film optical elements that can manipulate light similarly to traditional metasurfaces.