EPSRC - Nanostructured Photonic Metamaterials

Over the last twenty years photonics, the science of light, has played a key role in creating the world as we know it. Today it is impossible to imagine modern society without internet and mobile telephony made possible by the implementation of optical fibre networks, CD's and DVD's underpinned by the development of lasers, modern image display technologies, and laser-assisted manufacturing.We believe that the next photonic revolution will continue to grow, explosively fuelled by a new dependence on a radically different type of photonic materials called metamaterials. Metamaterials are artificial electromagnetic media with unusual and useful functionalities achieved by structuring on a sub-wavelength scale. Nanotechnology-enabled materials are now universally seen as the direction where the global economy will grow strongly in the 21st century. The proposed Programme is at the core of this global movement and focuses on an area of particular interest to the UK - nanophotonics and metamaterials. Our vision for this Programme is to develop a new generation of revolutionary switchable and active nanostructured photonic media thus providing groundbreaking solutions for telecoms, energy, light generation, imaging, lithography, data storage, sensing, and security and defence applications. The Programme will mobilize and focus all of the resources and interdisciplinary expertise available at the University of Southampton and with our collaboration partners in the UK and around the world, to create a world-leading centre of research on Nanostructured Photonic Metamaterials. The elements of adventure and key research challenges in this project can be summarized as follows: we aim to develop photonic media allowing for ultra-high-density integration, the lowest possible energy levels and the highest speeds of optical switching. This will be achieved by advancing the physics of the control, guiding and amplification of light in nanostructures and by developing new nanofabrication techniques and methods of hybridization and integration into the waveguide and fiber environment of different novel metamaterial structures.The main methodological paradigm for the Programme is to achieve new functionalities by developing hybrid photonic metamaterials. The Programme will consist of strongly interlinked projects on fabricating hybrid metamaterials, metamaterials as a platform for photonic devices and fundamental physical experiments, controllable, switchable and active hybrid metamaterials, and developing new ideas emerging from theoretical analysis. Essential to the project will be the new world-leading 105M cleanroom and laboratory Mountbatten complex at the University of Southampton. This proposal is submitted on behalf of an internationally leading team with a formidable research track record that within the last 10 years has led and participated in research projects with funding exceeding 34 millions, published 463 journal research papers and given more than 200 invited talks at major international meetings. The research will be developed in collaboration with key international research groups and industrial laboratories and in this way form a Global Laboratory for the project.This high-risk/high-reward Programme will be run by a strong Director-led management team which will benefit from advice from an independent Project Mentor and Advisory Board. Strategic decisions will be made using the search-and-focus approach involving regular critical reviews of the research programme under an active resources and risk management scheme allowing for the redistribution of resources and usage of reserves where they are most needed and to quickly foster new research directions.