We are pleased to announce and invite you to one of our weekly online zoom events.
 

Optical Nanoantennas and Metasurfaces: Controlling Light at Subwavelength Scales

In the last decade, optical nanoantennas and metasurfaces have revolutionized our ability to manipulate and control light at the nanoscale, unlocking a new era of compact, efficient, and multifunctional optical technologies. By engineering both metallic and semiconducting materials into structures smaller than the wavelength of light, we can now tailor optical responses with unprecedented precision—enhancing light–matter interactions, directing energy flow, and enabling functionalities that were once impossible with conventional optics.
In this presentation, I will introduce the fundamental principles of optical nanoantennas and metasurfaces and illustrate how these concepts are being translated into practical applications. Examples will include their integration into energy devices for improved light harvesting and thermal management, the creation of vivid structural colors for anti-counterfeiting and branding, and the development of ultrathin optical components such as flat lenses for imaging and sensing. Together, these technologies offer transformative opportunities for industries ranging from renewable energy to consumer electronics.


Speaker

Prof. Dr. Giulia Tagliabue, Head of Laboratory of Nanoscience for Energy Technologies (LNET)
Dr. Giulia Tagliabue is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at EPFL. She joined the Engineering faculty in January 2019 and she is the head of the Laboratory of Nanoscience for Energy Technologies (LNET). She obtained her PhD in Mechanical Engineering from ETH Zurich in 2015. From 2015 to 2018 she was a Swiss National Science Foundation Fellow and she carried on her postdoctoral research jointly at Caltech and the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP). Dr. Tagliabue is the recipient of the First Prize of the Rising Stars of Light Award 2020, the 2021 Early Career Award in Nanophotonics, the 2023 Zellner Prize in Physical Chemistry, the 2024 Daniela Pucci Prize in Nanophotonics and the 2024 Latsis University Prize EPFL. Her teaching excellence was also recognized with the 2024 EPFL Best Teaching Award. In 2020 she was awarded an Eccellenza Grant from SNSF and in 2022 she received an SNSF Starting Grant. She is member of ACS, Optica and SPIE. 

Moderator

Dr. Christian Bosshard, Managing Director Swissphotonics
Dr. Christian Bosshard received his degree in Physics (1986) and his doctorate (1991, Silver medal award) from ETH. From 2001-2021 he was working at CSEM, first as Section Head and then as Vice President and Head Photonics. Since 2013 he is Managing Director of Swissphotonics. Christian is a Fellow of Optica, former Board Member of EPIC, and Member of the Board of the University of Basel.

Date
Tuesday, 18 November 2025

Time
12:00 - 12:45

Software
Zoom

Costs
free of charge

Registration only necessary once
This event series requires registration (see link above). We will send you the access information (Zoom-link and ID) by email after the registration. As the Zoom link remains the same every week, you do not need to register again for the following meetings.

Contact EPFL
Prof. Dr. Giulia Tagliabue
Head of Laboratory of Nanoscience for Energy Technologies (LNET), EPFL

Contact Swissphotonics
Dr. Christian Bosshard
Managing Director Swissphotonics
+41 79 405 1826

1 June 2025, Christian Bosshard