Nanophotonics Summer School Draws Experts From Around The Globe

Forty-four PhD and Master students from Switzerland and Europe participated in a week long summer school this July to train on fundamentals and advanced research topics in the field of Nanophotonics. With the support of the Doctoral Program in Photonics (EDPO) and their advisors, five PhD students from EPFL and ETHZ organized the week of lectures by international experts and extended discussions about current scientific challenges and societal impact of nanophotonic technologies. Participants also visited three EPFL laboratories (Laboratory of Nanoscience for Energy- LNET, Laboratory of Semiconductor Materials - LMSC, BIOnanophotonic Systems laboratory- BIOS) to gain greater insight into cutting edge research.

Nanophotonics is an exciting field at the crossroads of nanotechnology and photonics. It encompasses the fundamental understanding of light-matter interactions and the engineering of light confinement at the nanoscale. The summer school program addressed three critical sectors that can benefit from nanophotonics: energy, sensing, and communication. Students took deep dives into nanofabrication, numeric modelling, energy applications, metasurface design, and extreme precision sensing technologies.

The exchange was lively between all participants and the international students seized a unique opportunity to take advantage of EPFL’s expertise in the field. Additional experts in Nanophotonics from Switzerland, France, the USA, South Korea, and Spain gave plenary lectures during the packed five days. And PhD students could earn two credits toward their degree by presenting a poster and pitching a grant or start-up idea to other students and experts. The academic advisors from EPFL and ETHZ hope to repeat this year’s success in the upcoming years.