Current Position:
Assistant Professor
Institution:
University of California, Irvine (previously, Cornell University)
Discipline:
Materials Science & Nanotechnology
Recognized for: Optical physicist Maxim Shcherbakov works with a special class of artificial materials, known as semiconductor metamaterials, that manipulate light in fascinating ways. He has utilized common semiconductor materials, like silicon and germanium, to engineer metamaterials that display unusual optical properties. Shcherbakov has made a number of important discoveries, including the first experimental observation of photon acceleration—an effect well-known in plasma physics that changes the frequency of light. His groundbreaking scientific discoveries will impact many areas from telecommunications to quantum computing.
Areas of Research Interest and Expertise: Nonlinear Optics, Nanophotonics, Metamaterials, Semiconductors, Ultrafast Processes
Previous Positions:
MS, Physics Lomonosov Moscow University, Russian Federation
PhD, Quantum Electronics, Lomonosov Moscow University, Russian Federation (Advisor: Andrey Fedyanin)
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Lomonosov Moscow University, Russian Federation
Deputy Project Leader, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology
Research Summary:
Optical physicist, Maxim Shcherbakov, PhD, is expanding our understanding of how the properties of light can be manipulated, developing a special class of artificial materials, known as semiconductor metamaterials and metasurfaces. Metamaterials are materials with nanoscale features and properties that are designed to manipulate light in unusual ways. And while semiconductors can be found in nearly every cell phone manufactured today, semiconducting metamaterials can be engineered to control light on-demand and could one day become a fundamental building block of optical circuits—a type of circuit that can perform computations with photons.
Electronic integrated circuits and chips are ubiquitous in computer hardware. Motivated by the possibility of scaling down photonic circuits so that they can compete with computer electronics, Shcherbakov has taken common semiconductor materials, like silicon and germanium, and has engineered metamaterials and metasurfaces with interesting optical properties. He has made a number of important experimental discoveries, including the first experimental observation of photon acceleration in a semiconductor meta-surface—an effect well-known in plasma physics that changes the frequency of light. His groundbreaking discovery could lead to the first tabletop optical devices with ultraviolet radiation sources. His work is expanding the scientific toolbox for manipulating light at ultra-fast and ultra-small scales and will impact many areas from telecommunications and high-speed optical computing to quantum information and computing technologies.
"It is humbling to have been selected as a Blavatnik Awards honoree. Getting your research recognized inspires: it is exciting to look into the bright future, where photonic materials can improve our lives and the lives of our loved ones."
Key Publications:
In the Media:
Nature Materials – Ultrafast responses
Phys.org – The world's fastest nanoscale photonics switch
Phys.org – Researchers create ultrafast tunable semiconductor metamaterial
Cornell Chronicle – Fine-tuning photons to capture fleeting electron motions
Phys.org – Nanostructures enable record high-harmonic generation