Conference Title: SPIE FOCUS: Light and Matter
Conference Chair: Jingshan S. Du, Northwestern University
Conference Cochairs: Simone Bianconi, Northwestern University; Wei Cui, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Xiaohui Xu, Purdue University.
Symposium T1 – Materials for Optoelectronics
Program Chairs: Lin Sun, Northwestern University; Jingshan S. Du, Northwestern University
Materials innovations have enabled new optoelectronic properties and applications ranging from photovoltaics, lasing, to light illumination. The fundamental understanding on the solid-state physics, quantum confinement phenomenon, and charge transfer mechanisms are critical in the design of emerging functional optoelectronic devices. In these explorations, conventional semiconductors usually suffer from limitations that are intrinsic to their materials properties. For instance, high sensitivity to impurities and poor mechanical properties challenges Si-based photovoltaics towards low- cost, flexible, and lightweight devices to be integrated into the holy grail of Internet of Things where each small device can be electrically powered. Therefore, the past decades have witnessed the emergence of novel photovoltaic materials addressing these challenges, such as organic photovoltaics, dye-sensitized solar cells, and more recently halide perovskites.
This symposium focuses on the discovery, design, and understanding of novel materials that have exotic optoelectronic properties. These include:
Plasmonics and photonics
- Novel nanostructured materials
- Basic understanding on wave-material interactions and scattering
- Plasmonic and photonic materials for device integration
Opto-electronic conversion
- Doping and crystal growth
- Organic materials for photovoltaics and light emission
- Lasing materials and structures
- Materials for photodetection
- Halide perovskites and other novel materials
Novel low-dimensional materials
- Quantum well physics
- Quantum dots
- Nanowires and their applications
- Novel 2D materials and van der Waals heterostructures
Symposium T2 – Materials Processing and Chemistry
Program Chair: Wenjie Zhou, Northwestern University
Recent advances of fabrication techniques in the field of nanophotonics shows great potential in replacing conventional components in many applications, such as lasing, and flat lenses. Strategies including bottom-up, or combinations of top-down and bottom-up are emerging as promising alternative of traditional lithography techniques, while bringing unprecedented features such as high precision, durability, and tunability. These alternative approaches could largely benefit the current nanofabrication platform, giving the nanophotonics community more opportunities to consider.
This symposium emphasizes the novel strategies to syntheses and processes of optically active materials. These include:
Top-down lithographic approaches
- Optical lithography (UV, EUV)
- Electron-beam lithography
- Ion-beam lithography
Direct printing and writing approaches
- Nano-imprint lithography
- Nano-inject printing
Bottom-up assembly approaches
- Template-assisted assembly
- Interface-enabled assembly
Chemical processing and treatments
- Wet chemical synthesis of materials
- Surface processing and functionalization
Symposium T3 – Optical Device and Phenomenon
Program Chairs: Chenfei Hu, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Harshil Dave, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Wei Cui, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Display, imaging and nanophotonics are among the most important aspects of optics, spanning theoretical to experimental demonstration and applications in fundamental science, engineering and industry. Novel device design and phenomenon involving these aspects are getting increasingly popular during the recent five years. This conference emphasizes innovative techniques in optics involving display technology, computational imaging, nanophotonics and laser technology, gathering people from optics, mathematics, materials and electrical engineering to communicate and share their opinions in these fields. Technical and scientific research related to advanced technologies that push beyond the scope of the state-of-the-art in optics are solicited, including:
- Display Technology
- Computational Imaging
- Nanophotonics
- Laser Technology