The AMI Softmatter Physics groups is organized into below sub-groups.

Smart Energy Materials

We are invested in the development of hybrid and supramolecular materials for energy conversion, with a particular focus on sustainable solar-to-electric energy conversion in photovoltaics. This involves stimuli-responsive materials, layered hybrid perovskites, and other bioinspired materials that can adapt to their operating conditions. We rely on a combined methodological approach at the interface of chemistry, physics, material science, and engineering, including design, synthesis, and characterization of materials and devices.

Plasmonic Networӿ

Metamaterials are artificial structures that provide a custom-designed environment for light beyond the properties of natural materials. Metamaterials are traditionally based on isolated structures that are made of plasmonic metals and arranged on a sub-wavelength lattice. In our group, we investigate the fundamental physics of network-like metamaterials, which consist of one or more percolating plasmonic domains rather than isolated metallic objects. We are particularly interested in the peculiar bulk modes that some of these network-like plasmonic morphologies provide. While our research is mainly driven by fundamental theoretical insight, we also work on the fabrication of metallic networks on different length-scales, and their experimental characterization.

Bioinspired Photonics

Within our Bioinspired Photonics subgroup, our focus lies within the field of biophotonics.