Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Atomically layered materials for next-generation metasurfaces

Project description

Advancing solid state physics and metasurfaces

The development of atomically layered materials, composed of individual atomic planes bonded together by weak van der Waals (vdW) interactions, represents a crucial advancement in solid-state physics. These materials exhibit unique electronic properties and can form multi-material heterostructures with atomically sharp interfaces, making them essential for various applications. However, optically accessing fundamental electronic excitations of 2D materials remains a significant challenge that hinders further progress. The ERC-funded METANEXT project aims to overcome this challenge by developing a new model for amplifying and harnessing light-matter interactions in 2D materials by shaping vdW heterostructures into resonant building blocks of optical metasurfaces. Ultimately, the project seeks to provide fundamental insights into these fields and their practices.

Objective

Atomically layered materials composed of individual atomic planes bonded together by weak van der Waals (vdW) interactions have sparked a revolution in solid state physics due to their unique electronic properties and capability for forming multi-material heterostructures with atomically sharp interfaces. However, accessing fundamental electronic excitations of two-dimensional (2D) materials optically has so far been a major challenge due to the associated low absorption cross sections and their low environmental stability.
METANEXT will establish a new paradigm for amplifying and harnessing light-matter interactions in 2D materials by shaping vdW heterostructures into the resonant building blocks of optical metasurfaces. At the core of the proposed platform is the implementation of nanostructured hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) as a photonically active material, pushing beyond its currently prevalent use as a passive buffer layer in optoelectronics. Leveraging the emerging concept of optical bound states in the continuum, I will use my extensive experience in nanophotonic engineering to design and experimentally realize hBN-based metasurfaces with ultrasharp resonances incorporating mono- and few-layer systems of vdW materials, allowing direct optical access to such 2D systems with unprecedented efficiency and spectral/spatial control over the excitation. Specifically, I will utilize the METANEXT platform to (1) push the limits of light-matter coupling in black phosphorus heterostructures, (2) greatly boost the efficiency of single-photon generation from localized defects in atomically thin molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), and to (3) realize a completely new concept for valley-dependent on-chip lasing from transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) monolayers.
METANEXT will deliver both fundamental insights into the optical excitation mechanisms of current and future 2D materials as well as important conceptual advances for practical chip-integrated quantum light sources.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2022-STG

See all projects funded under this call

Host institution

LUDWIG-MAXIMILIANS-UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 498 056,00
Address
GESCHWISTER SCHOLL PLATZ 1
80539 MUNCHEN
Germany

See on map

Region
Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 498 056,00

Beneficiaries (1)

My booklet 0 0