Light carries both an electric and a magnetic field but light-matter interactions (occurring in photosynthesis or photovoltaics, in our eyes, in quantum technologies and so on), are generally considered to be mediated only by the electric component of light, neglecting its magnetic counterpart. At the interface between nanophotonics (optics at the nanometer scale) and quantum optics (optics of energy quanta), this master project consists in using metallic and dielectric nanostructures, known as optical nanoantennas, to isolate and enhance the optical magnetic field with respect to its electric counterpart. A luminescent nanoparticle will then be placed, using a near field setup or through synthesis, in the center of the magnetic hot spot, in order to reveal the coupling between the ‘magnetic light’ and matter.
This experimental master project is part of a completely new field of research with high potential both in terms of scientific publications and possible applications.
The master student will work in close collaboration with Mathieu Mivelle and Sébastien Bidault, CNRS Researchers, Benoît Reynier and Pascale Nasr, PhD students, and Eric Charron, Research engineer.