Welcome! We are the research group of Jen Dionne, Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University. Our research investigates metamaterials, including their fundamental electrodynamic properties and applications to solar energy and bioimaging. We are especially interested in designing new materials with optical and electrical properties not accessible in nature and applying those materials to problems of global significance. Our lab specializes in visible-frequency negative index materials, active metamaterials, and colloidal-nanocrystal materials. Please feel free to navigate this site or contact us for more information!
When material dimensions approach the nanometer-scale, many unusual and exotic optical phenomena arise. In plasmonic and nanocrystalline metamaterials, these phenomena can include negative refraction, electromagnetic cloaking, and even quantum levitation. Research in our group is devoted to developing new solid-state and colloidal metamaterials and investigating their fundamental optical, electrical, and chemical properties. Ongoing projects include research into the electrodynamics of negative index materials, coupled plasmon-quantum dot systems, attractive and repulsive casimir forces, transformation optics, and single-nanoparticle nanophotonics.
Controlling light-matter interactions from classical down to quantum scales motivates applications ranging from solar energy conversion to sub-diffraction-limited microscopy. Currently, the Dionne group is focussed on three applications of plasmonic and nanocrystalline metamaterials: 1) developing efficient photovoltaic and photocatalytic systems for clean energy storage and environmental cleanup; 2) optically sensing and controlling neuronal transmission; and 3) exploring device applications of negative index materials, including sub-diffraction limited lenses and electromagnetic cloaks. All applications rely on the unique ability of plasmons and quantum dots to localize and enhance electromagnetic fields in unprecedented ways.
Latest News
February 17: Jen has been selected to receive the Outstanding Young Alum award from her undergraduate alma mater, Washington University in St. Louis!
January 31: Jen is awarded a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation!
January 12: Ashwin and Hadiseh each have invited articles published in the "Green Photonics" issue of the Journal of Optics: "Towards high efficiency upconversion with plasmonic nanostructures" and "Optimized light absorption in Si wire array solar cells"
January 5: Amr's paper on efficient plasmonic gain is published in Physical Review B! "Waveguides with a silver lining: Low threshold gain and giant modal gain in active cylindrical and coaxial plasmonic devices"
December 22: Jen was elected a member of Lawrence Berkeley Lab's Molecular Foundry Executive Committee.
December 16: The D-Lab takes the ice at Palo Alto's Winter Lodge!
December 7: Congratulations to Brian Baum, our newest Ph.D. Candidate!
November 6: Congratulations to Diane and Ashwin, who competed in the Marin Olympic triathlon! Ashwin finished 1st in his age group!
November 6: The Dionne group participated in the first annual Bay Area Science Festival, introducing ~20,000 attendees to "Nano-optics: More than meets the eye."
October 27: Jen presented an invited talk at the Institute for the Future.
October 18: Jen presented an invited talk at the Emerging Technologies (EmTech) conference at MIT.
October 12: Jen presented an invited talk at the IEEE Photonics Society in Arlington, VA
September 22: Jen presented a plenary talk to Stanford freshman at New Student Orientation on "Global Challenges, Nanoscale Solutions."
September 15: Jen Dionne and Harry Atwater have been selected to organize an MRS Bulletin on Plasmonics! The magazine is due for publication in August, 2012!
September 8: In collaboration with the McGehee group, the Dionne group is awarded a grant from the TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy!
September 6: The Dionne group is awarded a grant from SLAC and the Department of Energy to develop high-frequency magnetic metamaterials!
September 1: In collaboration with Bosch, the Dionne group is awarded a SunShot grant from the Department of Energy to develop new upconverting materials for solar cells!
August 23: Jen is selected as a TR35: one of Technology Review's 35 researchers under 35, "tackling important problems in transformative ways." Read more here: "TR35"
August 5: Congratulations to Sassan and Aitzol for their paper on magnetic and electric Fano resonances, published in Nano Letters!
August 4:Ashwin's paper on Solar Upconversion is published in the Journal of Applied Physics! "Realistic Upconverter Enhanced Solar Cells"
August 1: Congratulations to Sassan for winning an ACC (American Competitiveness in Chemistry) NSF Fellowship!
July 7: Our research is featured in Technology Review! "Solar Cells that See Red"
June 28: In collaboration with Prof. Alberto Salleo, the Dionne group is awarded a GCEP grant!!
Featured Research
I. Plasmonic Gain:
Recent calculations by Amr Saleh indicate the potential for gain-based plasmonic devices with low required threshold gains. Properly designed plasmonic structures can strongly enhance the gain factor of nonlinear materials, despite the higher losses usually associated with metals. His results, published in Physical Review B on January 5, will enable efficient nanoscale plasmon amplifiers, spasers, and lasers.
II. Magnetic and Electric Fano Resonances:
Recent calculations by Sassan Sheikholeslami and Aitzol Garcia demonstrate Fano-like interference effects between electric and magnetic modes in visible-frequency "metamolecules." Their results, pulished in Nano Letters on August 5, will enable exquisite spatial and temporal control of electromagnetic hotspots, with compelling applications for molecular and biosensing.
III. Solar Upconversion Calculations:
Recent calculations by Ashwin Atre indicate the promise of upconversion for photovoltaics. Ashwin's results, which were published in the Journal of Applied Physics on August 4, show that upconversion can significantly increase solar cell efficiencies, even for realistic upconverting materials and non-concentrated sunlight.
