harry atwater

Electronically Reconfigurable Metasurfaces for Active Wavefront Control in Ranging and Communications

A grand challenge for photonics is the realization of comprehensively tunable metasurface nanoantenna arrays for dynamic, active control of the constitutive properties of light – amplitude, phase, wavevector and polarization, and to do so in systems with dramatically decreased size, weight and power (SWaP). I will describe the status and outlook for electronically tunable and reconfigurable plasmonic and dielectric metasurfaces whose elements are reprogrammable, enabling a wide array of functions, including steering, focusing, and frequency multiplexing of scattered radiation. We have recently developed tunable chip-based metasurface phased arrays, operating in the C-band wavelength regime (1530-1565 nm) capable of electronic beam steering and focusing. I will also give an outlook for active metasurfaces for wavefront control in future LIDAR and laser-based beam steering space communication systems.

Harry ATWATER is the Howard Hughes Professor of Applied Physics and Materials Science at the California Institute of Technology. Atwater’s scientific effort focuses on nanophotonic light-matter interactions. His work spans fundamental nanophotonic phenomena, in plasmonics and 2D materials, and applications including active metasurfaces and optical propulsion. His current research in solar energy centers on high efficiency photovoltaics and photoelectrochemical processes for generation of solar fuels. Atwater was an early pioneer in nanophotonics and plasmonics he gave the name to the field of plasmonics in 2001. Atwater is a Member of US National Academy of Engineering, and a Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher. He is also a Fellow of the SPIE as well as APS, MRS, and the National Academy of Inventors. He is also the founding Editor in Chief of the journal ACS Photonics, and Chair of the LightSail Committee for the Breakthrough Starshot program. Currently Atwater is the Director for the Liquid Sunlight Alliance (LiSA), a Department of Energy Hub program for solar fuels. He is also founder of 5 early-stage companies, including Alta Devices, which set world records for photovoltaic cell and module efficiency.