The research group is focused on three principal missions:

1. to design optically active nanostructures driven by function (noble metals and novel plasmonic metamaterials : 2D materials and active plasmonic materials)
2. to develop and implement new nanofabrication strategies to build, orient, and pattern these nanostructures into new materials and devices
3. to characterize and understand the physical properties of these optically active nanostructures, devices and materials

The research activity can be detailed as follows:

• Fundamental Science of Nanoscale Plasmonic surfaces
• Fabrication of nanostructured plasmonic materials by chemical routes (chemical synthesis and Self-assembly onto planar substrates using coordination and electrostatic binding) or physical routes for the study of disordered metal nanostructures (thermal evaporation /sputtering) or ordered nanostructures (FIB/ EBL, or template mediated techniques : hole mask colloidal lithography, AAO membrane, imprint lithography);
• Optical characterization and study of their physical properties in view of a photonic application. This activity is supported by theoretical modelling tools based on Finite Elements Methods, Mie, discrete dipole approximation (DDA)
• Studies on different effect of plasmon coupling : magneto-plasmonics, plasmon-enhanced luminescence/fluorescence effects, Plasmon-Exciton Coupling and Spontaneous Emission Enhancement,  plasmons and spin waves interactions, Opto-Plasmonics of Metallo-Dielectric Nanostructures, Electromagnetic Properties of Intrinsically Active and Tunable Photonic Metamaterials
• Ultrasensitive Chemical and biological Sensing (developed in GdL 5)
• Further nanophotonic applications: Plasmon- enhanced lasing efficiency in organic microcavity lasers; optical resonators utilizing whispering-gallery type plasmonic modes (activity with IFAC-CNR), Plasmon-enhanced solar cells,  Plasmonic LEDs, THz plasmonics, Ultrafast plasmonics, plasmonic waveguiding (in progress)

POC: mariagrazia.manera@cnr.it; roberto.rella@cnr.it; arianna.creti@cnr.it; mauro.lomascolo@cnr.it