Objective "The improvement of fabrication technology over the last decades enables the accurate creation of almost arbitrarily shaped nanoscale metal structures. In such systems, quasi-bound surface modes (plasmons) provide strong, sub-wavelength confinement of electromagnetic fields. This confinement leads to strongly increased coupling between light and matter, and increases the possible spatial resolution to far below the diffraction limit. These properties make plasmonics a quickly growing and multidisciplinary subject, with applications in physics, chemistry, biology and engineering. A particularly relevant topic is the coupling of quantum emitters (such as atoms, molecules, quantum dots, or color centers in diamond) to plasmons. By concentrating light with the use of plasmons, the mismatch between the absorption cross section of the emitter and the size of the light beam can be circumvented. It is then even possible to reach the strong coupling regime, where the elementary excitations become hybrid states with mixed light-matter character. The major aim of StroCOMP is to develop new insights into the strong coupling between plasmons and organic molecule excitations, forming so-called ""plexcitons"". Due to the complex molecular structure, organic molecule plexcitons are still not fully understood. In addition to the system itself, we will study two relevant applications: One is the manipulation of chemical structure and reactions through strong coupling, exploiting the modification of the chemical potential energy surface. The second application is plexciton condensation, driven by their Bose-Einstein statistics. This exploits the possible ultralight effective mass of plexcitons to enable condensation and quantum degeneracy even at room temperature, and in addition to being of fundamental interest could represent a pathway towards a very low-threshold coherent light source." Fields of science natural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicselectromagnetismengineering and technologymaterials engineeringcolors Programme(s) FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) FP7-PEOPLE-2013-CIG - Marie-Curie Action: "Career Integration Grants" Call for proposal FP7-PEOPLE-2013-CIG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MC-CIG - Support for training and career development of researcher (CIG) Coordinator UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE MADRID EU contribution € 87 500,00 Address CALLE EINSTEIN 3 CIUDAD UNIV CANTOBLANCO RECTORADO 28049 Madrid Spain See on map Region Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Mª Carmen Puerta (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data