How do you make a light source that is directional, has a controlled wavefront, and a controlled polarization out of an intrinsically incoherent and disordered set of emitters, like fluorophores in an LED phosphor? This is a defining question in the field of light-emitting metasurfaces, with applications in LEDs, incandescent lighting and VR/AR display pixels.
While it is understood how to shape intensity, e.g. Making LEDs directional with nanostructures, a completely open question is how to shape polarization of emission at will. This touches on an emerging field in nanophotonics: chirality, which in the light field expresses as circular polarization. Circularly polarized fluorescent light sources are for instance pursued for pixels in 3D display technology. You will work on realizing chiral light emitting devices combining both intrinsically chiral emitters, and nanophotonic engineering through optical metasurfaces.
Metasurfaces, i.e., nanostructured 2D scattering surfaces can impact chirality in two ways. On one hand, there is interest in using the geometry of metasurfaces to ‘spoof’ chirality: imparting chiral emission and absorption properties on light-emitting matter that is not itself microscopically chiral, On the other hand, matter such as light emitting molecules may itself be chiral. While molecular chirality is intrinsically weak, there are claims that on the nanoscale optical resonances can be ‘superchiral’, and will boost the enantioselective properties of molecularly chiral absorber and emitter materials.
In this project you will work with novel world-record strength chiral emitter systems derived from OLED (organic light emitting polymer LED) materials developed by M. Fuchter and J. Wade (Oxford Univ. And Imperial College). We aim to address two main questions. First, we aim to uncover the microscopic origin of the record-strength chiral nature of fluorescence from these materials. It is well known in nanophotonics that you can unravel the properties of fluorescent transitions by placing matter in controlled environments (cavities, multilayers), that exert known cavity QED effects. You will extend this toolbox to chiral/polarimetrically resolved versions to elucidate the transition dipole moments, radiative lifetimes and handed far field angular emission properties. Second, we aim to address the question how you can manipulate and enhance microscopic chirality by metasurface resonances.
This project will involve fluorescence microscopy, polarimetry, fluorescence lifetime measurements, transient absorption spectroscopy, metasurface design and nanofabrication, and will build on already available strengths in these techniques as well as numerical and analytical theoretical descriptions. The work is under joint supervision of F. Koenderink at AMOLF and S. Mann at UvA, and benefits for collaboration on the materials aspects with M. Fuchter and J. Wade.
QualificationsYou have a MSc degree in physics, optics, photonics, physical chemistry, nanoscience, or a related field.
Work environmentThe project will be a collaboration between the Resonant Nanophotonics group at AMOLF and the team of Dr. Sander Mann at the nearby Institute of Physics at University of Amsterdam. You will be employed at AMOLF and be embedded in the AMOLF team, but will also participate in work discussions and events at the UvA team.
AMOLF is a national research institute and is part of NWO-I. Its mission is to initiate and perform leading fundamental research on the physics of complex forms of matter, and to create new functional materials, in partnership with academia and industry. The institute is located at Amsterdam Science Park and currently employs about 140 researchers and 80 support employees. Www.amolf.nl
The research activities in the Resonant Nanophotonics group at AMOLF (PI Femius Koenderink) aim at developing nanoscale photonic structures, such as metasurface optics, optical nanoantennas and resonators to control scattering, emission, amplification and detection of light. Our work has applications in the domains of nanophotonic light sources, optical metrology, microscopy, and wavebased information processing.
The LightMatters group at the University of Amsterdam (PI Sander Mann) focuses on incoherent emission of thermal origin, both for nanophotonic control of thermal radiation and thermal transport inside materials.
Working conditions- The working atmosphere at the institute is largely determined by young, enthusiastic, mostly foreign employees. Communication is informal and runs through short lines of communication.
- The position is intended as full-time (40 hours / week, 12 months / year) appointment in the service of the Netherlands Foundation of Scientific Research Institutes (NWO-I) for the duration of four years
- The starting salary is 3.115 Euro’s gross per month and a range of employment benefits.
- After successful completion of the PhD research a PhD degree will be granted at a Dutch University.
- Several courses are offered, specially developed for PhD-students.
- AMOLF assists any new foreign PhD-student with housing and visa applications and compensates their transport costs and furnishing expenses.
For further information about the position, please contact Femius Koenderink: f.koenderink@amolf.nl
ApplicationYou can respond to this vacancy online via the button below.
Online screening may be part of the selection.
Diversity codeAMOLF is highly committed to an inclusive and diverse work environment: we want to develop talent and creativity by bringing together people from different backgrounds and cultures. We recruit and select on the basis of competencies and talents. We strongly encourage anyone with the right qualifications to apply for the vacancy, regardless of age, gender, origin, sexual orientation or physical ability.
AMOLF has won the NNV Diversity Award 2022, which is awarded every two years by the Netherlands Physical Society for demonstrating the most successful implementation of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
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Job detailsTitle
Science Park 104 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
AMOLF carries out fundamental physics with an open eye for applications. The researchers work closely with universities, institutes, and companies.
#J-18808-Ljbffr€3115 - €3115 monthly