If you are interested in organizing a Special Session at META 2025, please reach out to us at contact@metaconferences.org. Multiple sessions on similar topics can be proposed, and we will schedule them in different time slots throughout the conference if necessary. 

See examples of the sessions proposed at META 2024 here: META 2024 special sessions

SP1. "Metamaterials: novel trends and applications"

Organizers: Tatjana Gric (Vilnius Tech, Lithuania)

Metamaterials are artificial materials that can achieve properties that do not occur naturally from their artificial functional units. The Session proposes to review the development of metamaterial technology from the perspective of engineering application. This Special Session focuses on the design and fabrication of metamaterials and other functional materials. These are complex structures patterned in ways that perform a special function, such as transparently blocking a specific color of light, or invisibly heating a window in a car. These functions more generally include manipulating light, heat, and electromagnetic waves in unusual ways. The Special Session is devoted to discussing recent developments in the fields of artificial materials and their applications ranging from compositions, structures such as orientation, arrangement, geometry, size, shape, and smart properties including manipulation of electromagnetic waves by blocking, absorbing, enhancing, or bending waves. A few major breakthroughs, such as invisible cloak, metamaterial electronic components, and mechanical metamaterials are summarized. Several promising applications that may lead to disruptive technologies, such as superlens, metamaterial all-optical switching, and the merging of metamaterials and conventional materials, are predicted. Strategic suggestions on the development of metamaterial technology are proposed.

Topics:

1. 3D printing
2. Functional plasmonics
3. Homogenization of anisotropic media
4. Metasurfaces
5. Propagation of surface plasmon polaritons
6. Applications of metamaterials
7. Metamaterial based devices

Confirmed Invited Speakers:

1. Euclides Almeida, City University of New York, USA
2. Zizwe Chase, University of Illinois Chicago, USA
3. Shi-Wei Chu, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
4. Dana Cristea, National Institute for R&D in Microtechnologies, Romania
5. Alban Gassenq, Institute Light Matter, France
6. George Gordon, University of Nottingham, UK
7. Lina Grineviciute, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Lithuania
8. Seung-Kyun Kang, Seoul National University, South Korea
9. Vlastimil Krapek, Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic
10. Johannes Lischner, Imperial College London, UK
11. Petr Liska, Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic
12. Joel Loh, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
13. Adam Pander, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Japan
14. Jérome Plain, CNRS and Université de technologie de Troyes, France
15. Peter Ropač, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
16. Nahid Sarvari, Institute for Experimental and Applied Physics, Germany
17. Rita Schmidt, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
18. Juan Serrano, Spanish National Research Council, Spain
19. Steve Smith, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, USA
20. Zhipei Sun, Aalto, Finland
21. Takehito Suzuki, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan
22. Yasuhiro Tamayama, Nagaoka University of Technology, Japan
23. Chao-Yi Tai, National Central university, Taiwan
24. Olena Vertsanova, Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH, Germany
25. Valentyn Volkov, XPANCEO, Arab Emirates
26. Maciej Wiesner, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland
27. Leila Yousefi, University of Sussex, United Kingdom

SP2. "Parity-Time and quasi-normal modes in Photonics, Plasmonics, Acoustics"

Organizers: Anatole Lupu (C2N/Paris-Saclay University, France) & Henri Benisty (Institut d'Optique Graduate School, France)

The use of new symmetry properties in Photonics, Plasmonics, Acoustics has emerged in the recent years. They exploit unusual categories of modes and states that open yet unexplored avenues. Parity-Time symmetric structures are a key example of such a class of non-Hermitian systems of renewed interest in optics and photonics (gain/loss structures) for diverse flavours of broken symmetries. Quasi-normal modes help building sound pictures of non-hermitian systems. Extra photonic features such as chirality also add a new twist to those topics. This special session will cover theoretical and experimental progress in the exploration and functionalization of systems exhibiting this class of special-symmetry-related features in the areas of photonics, plasmonics and acoustics.

Topics:

1. Non-Hermitian Photonics, Plasmonics, Metamaterials, Acoustics
2. PT-symmetry related functionalities enabled by gain-loss engineering: theory, devices, applications
3. Singularities, broken symmetries, topological states in non-Hermitian systems
4. Studies of quasi normal modes in general Non-hermitian contexts

Confirmed Invited Speakers:

1. Muriel Botey, UPC Catalunya, Spain
2. Alice De Corte, University of Mons, Belgium
3. Ramon Herrero, UPC Catalunya, Spain
4. Jensen Li, HKUST, Hong Kong
5. Mikhail Limonov, Ioffe ITMO St Petersburg, Russia
6. Henning Schomerus, Lancaster University, UK
7. Kestutis Staliunas, UPC Catalunya, Spain

SP3. "AI empowered meta-optics"

Organizers: Benfeng Bai (Tsinghua University, China), Guixin Li (Southern University of Science and Technology, China) & Baohua Jia (RMIT University, Australia)

Metasurfaces and metadevices are artificial nanostructures that allow optical properties to be tailored in an unconventional way and on length scales far smaller than the wavelength of light, feeding an unprecedented area of the so-called smart meta-optics. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning have shown tremendous potential in reshaping the landscape of meta-optics. This special session focuses on the most recent advances in AI empowered meta-optics, especially on imaging, display and information processing.

Topics:

1. Theoretical methods for AI empowered meta-optics
2. AI-assisted meta-optics for imaging, microscopy, and sensing
3. Computational optics enabled by metasurfaces and metadevices
4. Meta-optics for holography, display, and optical encryption
5. AI empowered meta-optics for information processing
6. Other related topics

SP4. "New Advances in Metamaterials and Their Functional Applications"

Organizers: Weiren Zhu (Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China), Zhenfei Li (Northwestern Polytechnical University, China) & Jin Zhang (Aalto University, Finland)

Metamaterials, composed of artificial subwavelength resonators, have been widely utilized to manipulate electromagnetic waves across various fields. Due to their adjustable effective permittivity and permeability, metamaterials have attracted significant interest from both the scientific and engineering communities. Metasurfaces, the two-dimensional counterparts of metamaterials, are formed by the periodic or non-periodic arrangement of subwavelength elements on an ultrathin film. They offer flexible control over the amplitude, phase, and polarization state of electromagnetic waves. Leveraging the capabilities of metamaterials and metasurfaces enables a range of applications, including polarization conversion, invisibility cloaking, high-resolution imaging, sensing, and beam focusing. In this special session, we invite researchers to contribute presentations that will stimulate the continuing efforts on the understanding of metamaterials/metasurfaces and exploring their applications.

Topics:

1. Theory and modeling of metamaterials/metasurfaces
2. Topological electromagnetic structure
3. Active and reconfigurable metamaterials/metasurfaces
4. Metamaterials/metasurfaces for antennas and RF devices
5. Surface plasmon polariton and photonic crystals
6. Acoustic metamaterials and novel devices
7. Metamaterials/metasurfaces for surface-enhanced spectroscopy and sensing
8. Novel effect

SP5. "Chiral fields and ultrafast chiral spectroscopy"

Organizers: Jamal Berakdar (Martin-Luther University, Germany)

Chirality is a fundamental symmetry property affecting the electronic, magnetic, and optical properties of matter. To access information related to chirality, specific electromagnetic fields and setups are necessary. In this session methods and proposals will be discussed that enable generating chiral electromagnetic fields with applications to time-resolved chiral spectroscopy and microscopy of matter in the linear and non-linear regimes.

Topics:

1. Spatio-temporal control of chiral fields
2. Ultrafast chiral dynamics in atoms and molecules
3. Chiral fields for nanostructuring and chiral material molding
4. Plasmonic and photonic fields for chiral sensing
5. Fast chiral separation and trapping
6. Spectroscopy and control of chiral magnetic and ferroelectric textures

Confirmed Invited Speakers:

1. Hyo-Yong Ahn, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Japan
2. Monika Fleischer, Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Germany
3. Margarita Khokhlova, King's College London, UK
4. Ramaz Khomeriki, Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Georgia
5. Alexey Nikitin, DIPC, Spain
6. Emilio Pisanty, King's College London, UK

SP6. "Ultrafast Light-Matter Interaction in Photocatalytic Systems"

Organizers: Aswathi K. Sivan (University of Basel, Switzerland), Alejandro Galan Gonzalez (Instituto de Carboquímica – CSIC, Spain)

This symposium gathers top researchers to investigate ultrafast light-driven phenomena in metamaterials, plasmonics, and nanophotonics, pushing the boundaries of photocatalysis for sustainable energy solutions. With the development of novel light sources spanning from the mid-infrared to the extreme ultraviolet, it has become possible to probe and manipulate light-matter interactions in previously inaccessible regimes. By leveraging these insights, researchers are exploring new ways to enhance the efficiency of photocatalytic systems. Metamaterials and plasmonic nanostructures enable control over light absorption, charge transport, and surface reactions in photocatalysis, opening new possibilities for driving processes at the nanoscale. By examining interactions at the nano- and femtosecond scales, we aim to bridge insights across fields to stimulate transformative advances in photocatalysis for sustainable energy solutions.

Topics:

1. Ultrafast Charge Carrier Dynamics
2. Plasmon-Enhanced Photocatalysis
3. Nanostructured and Metamaterial
4. Multidisciplinary Applications and Techniques
5. Advances in Light Source Technology and Characterization Methods
6. Future Directions in Sustainable Photocatalysis and Green Energy Solutions

Confirmed Invited Speakers:

1. Naman Agarwal, Elettra Sincrotrone, Trieste, Italy
2. Claudia Fasolato, Sapienza University di Roma, Italy
3. Patrick Kevin O'Keeffe, CNR-ISM, Italy
4. Malte Oppermann, University of Basel, Switzerland

SP7. "Quantum Light Emitters and Photonic Heterogeneous Integration"

Organizers: Han Htoon (CINT-LANL, USA), Huan Zhao (CNMS-ORNL, USA) & Libai Huang (Purdue University, USA)

This session will cover all aspects of quantum light emitters with a particular focus on their integration with photonic, plasmonic and meta-materials platforms toward realizing quantum computing, communications, transduction, and sensing functionalities. A wide variety of quantum emitters from quantum dots to newly discovered defects in high-band gap semiconductors and low dimensional materials will be covered. Emphasis will be placed on novel integration approaches capable of bridging material platforms and energy scales toward achieving coupling between different elementary excitations (e.g. spins, magnons, plasmons, and photons from microwave to visible).

Topics:

1. Discovery of new quantum emitters;
2. Novel approaches on control of fundamental and quantum optical properties;
3. Deterministic creation and integration of quantum emitters into photonic, plasmonic and meta-materials platforms;
4. Quantum emitters for computing and communications;
5. Quantum emitters for quantum transduction;
6. Quantum emitters for quantum sensing.

Confirmed Invited Speakers:

1. Carlos Anton-Solanas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
2. Mauro Broton-Gisbert, Heriot-Watt University, UK
3. Yong Chen, Purdue University, USA
4. Kozawa Daichi, National Institute of Material Science, Japan
5. Aymeric Delteil, University de Versailles Saint-Quentin, France
6. Lukasz Dusanowski, Florida State University, USA
7. Johannes Feist, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
8. Zhe He, Shandong Institute of Advanced Technology, China
9. Mark Hersam (Keynote Speaker), Northwestern University, USA
10. Alex Hogele, University of Munich, Germany
11. Jennifer Hollingsworth, LANL, USA
12. Jonathan Hood, Purdue University, USA
13. Han Htoon, Los Alamos Natioinal Lab, USA
14. Libai Huang, Purdue University, USA
15. Shengxi Huang, Rice University, USA
16. Pankaj Jha, Suyracuse University, USA
17. Yuichiro Kato, RIKEN, Japan
18. Ben Lawrie, ORNL, USA
19. Jieun Lee, Seoul National University, Korea
20. An-PIng Li, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA
21. Jauregui Luis, University of California, Irvine, USA
22. Xuedan Ma, Rice University, USA
23. Javier Martin Sanchez, University of Oviedo, pain
24. SungWoo Nam, University of California, Irvine, USA
25. Ronen Rapaport, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
26. Michael Titze, Sandia National Lab, USA
27. Rahul Trivedi, Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, Germany
28. Pengfei Wang, University of Science and Technology of China, China
29. Xiaodong Yan, University of Arizona, USA

SP8. "Functional materials for tunable and reconfigurable photonics"

Organizers: Sébastien Cueff (CNRS - INL, France) & Yael Gutierrez (Univ. Cantabria, Spain)

The session aims to gather experts working at the theoretical and experimental level on the development of functional materials for tunable and reconfigurable photonics. The future evolution of integrated photonics both for free-space and guided optics calls for multifunctional properties as well as higher performances in terms of power consumption, efficiency, footprint and speed. This opens up new opportunities for research on design and integration of functional materials whose physical properties can be dynamically modulated. The scope includes a large range of topics: basic physics, materials growth, integration, modeling and emerging photonic devices, for applications such as tunable metasurfaces, optical computing, beam steering and beam shaping, programmable neuromorphic systems, electro-optic modulators and non-linear optics.

Topics:

1. Phase-change materials;
2. 2D Materials;
3. Functional oxides;
4. Liquid crystals.

Confirmed Invited Speakers:

1. Andrea Alu, CUNY, USA
2. Pravallika Bandaru, Linkoping University, Sweeden
3. Arrigo Calzolari, University Modena, Italy
4. Rocio Camacho Morales, Australian National University, Australia
5. Patrice Genevet, School of Mines, USA
6. Behrad Gholipur, University of Alberta, Canada
7. Filip Ligmajer, Central European Institute of Technology, Czech Republic
8. Maria Losurdo, CNR ICMATE, Italy
9. Otto Muskens, Southamapton University, UK
10. Rosalia Serna, Instituto de Óptica - CSIC, Spain
11. Robert Simpson, Birmingham University, UK
12. Thomas Taubner, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
13. Andrea Tognazzi, University Palermo, Italy
14. Laurent Vivien, C2N-CNRS, France
15. Matthias Wuttig, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
16. Nathan Youngblood, Pittsburgh University, USA

SP9. "Quantum metaphotonics"

Organizers: Fei Ding & Sergey I. Bozhevolnyi (University of Southern Denmark, Denmark)

Optical metasurfaces, i.e., subwavelength planar nanostructures, have attracted increasing attention due to their unprecedented capabilities of molding classical light and revolutionized conventional optics by replacing bulky optical components with ultrathin, lightweight, and ultracompact meta-optics. In addition to controlling classical light, optical metasurface demonstrate the potential to efficiently manipulate nonclassical light and start to enter the realm of quantum photonics. This special session will cover recent advances in quantum metaphotonics for generation and manipulation of nonclassical light.

Topics:

1. Solid-state emitters integrated metaphotonics for quantum light sources;
2. Nonlinear metaphotonics for entangled photon sources;
3. Quantum metaphotonics for manipulating quantum states;
4. Light-emitting metasurfaces;
5. Other related topics.

Confirmed Invited Speakers:

1. Diego Alejandro Roberto Dalvit, Los Alamos National Lab, USA
2. Armando Genco, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
3. Hamidreza Siampour, Queen's University Belfast, UK
4. Jihua Zhang, Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, China

SP10. "Metamaterials for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Solutions"

Organizers: Alicia Torres-García, Miguel Beruete, Iñigo Liberal (Public University of Navarra, Spain) & Jorge S. Dolado (CFM, CSIC-UPV/EHU, Spain)

Metamaterial-based technologies are unlocking innovative pathways in sustainable applications, with promising developments in radiative cooling, water and energy harvesting and thermal management. As the industry increasingly aligns with goals of sustainability and resource efficiency, Metamaterials are emerging as a key technological solution for developing environmentally friendly devices with enhanced energy efficiency and minimized ecological impact. This session welcomes research contributions that push forward the understanding and practical application of metamaterials in the context of sustainability. Our goal is to explore insights into the fundamental science, modeling, and engineering of materials that support sustainable energy practices, efficient thermal management, and environmental protection.

Topics:

1. Metamaterials for Energy Efficiency: Progress in metamaterial structures for energy storage, solar energy harvesting, and improved thermal regulation;
2. Radiative Cooling Technologies: Advances in the use of metamaterials for passive cooling devices across buildings, and electronics;
3. Thermal and Heat Management: Techniques in thermal radiation control and energy-efficient heat dissipation;
4. Harvesting, Filtering: Applications of metamaterial-based designs for harvesting and filtration (water, air…);
5. Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Metamaterials: Research into the development of recyclable or eco-conscious materials for photonic devices and metamaterial structures;
6. Active and Reconfigurable Metamaterials for Environmental Applications: Design of tunable and responsive metamaterials for adaptive environmental control and climate-resilient technologies.

Confirmed Invited Speakers:

1. Rainer Bravo, Public University of Navarre, Spain
2. Matteo Cagnoni, Politecnico di Torino, Italia
3. Pietro Testa, Politecnico di Torino, Italy

SP11. "Optical antennas and metasurfaces: fundamentals and applications of enhanced light-matter interactions"

Organizers: Guillermo Acuna (University of Fribourg, Switzerland) & Peter Zijlstra (Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands), Hiroshi Sugimoto (Kobe University, Japan)

This special session will focus on optical nanoantennas and metasurfaces composed plasmonic and high refractive index dielectric materials which offer key applications utilizing enhanced light-matter interactions. The session will also focus on the characterization and modelling methods in nanophotonics as well as novel sensing platforms including surface enhanced spectroscopy and enhanced chiral sensing.

Topics:

1. Nanomaterials and nanostructures for optical antennas and metasurfaces;
2. Self-assembled optical antennas and metasurfaces;
3. Surface enhanced spectroscopy;
4. Biosensing and imaging applications;
5. Chirality enhancement by optical antennas and metasurfaces;
6. Novel spectroscopic techniques and theory for novel optical phenomena.

Confirmed Invited Speakers:

1. Hiromasa Niinomi, Tohoku University, Japan
2. Femi Ojambati, Twente University, Netherlands
3. Jorge Olmos-Trigo, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
4. Duncan Sutherland, Aarhus University, Denmark

SP12. "Advanced Theoretical Methods for Nanoplasmonics and Molecular Plasmonics"

Organizers: Tommaso Giovannini (University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy) & Stefano Corni (University of Padova & CNR-NANO, Italy)

This session will focus on state-of-the-art methodologies and advanced computational techniques in nano- and molecular plasmonics, exploring their role in advancing our understanding of light-matter interactions at the nanoscale. A particular emphasis will be devoted to connect the theoretical approaches to real-case scenarios with applications in catalysis, energy conversion, sensing, and nanotechnology. The session aims to foster dialogue between theoreticians and experimentalists.

Topics:

1. Quantum and classical theoretical models in plasmonics;
2. Modeling of plasmon-induced hot carrier generation and dynamics;
3. Ultrafast plasmonic processes;
4. Strong coupling and hybrid plasmon-molecule systems;
5. Multiscale computational methods for plasmonics and molecular plasmonics;
6. Nonlinear response in plasmonic nanostructures;
7. Theoretical approaches for catalysis, energy conversion, sensing and nanotechnology.

Confirmed Invited Speakers:

1. Francesca Baletto, University of Milan, USA
2. Chiara Cappelli, Scuola Normale Superiore, Italy
3. Lucia Cascino, University of Salento, Italy
4. Emanuele Coccia, University of Trieste, Italy
5. Eduardo Dias, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
6. Paul Erhart, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
7. Lorenz Huber, University of Graz, Austria
8. Jacob Khurgin, Johns Hopkins University, USA
9. Suljo Linic, University of Michigan, USA
10. Margherita Marsili, University of Bologna, Italy
11. Tomáš Neuman, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
12. Oleg Prezhdo, University of Southern California, USA
13. Yu Zhang, Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA

SP13. "Light-matter interaction on a chip"

Organizers: Alina Karabchevsky (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel)

Novel guided wave configurations utilizing artificial sub-wavelength structures made of plasmonic or all-dielectric metamaterials can pave the road to new devices with novel functionalities. These devices can be exploited to manipulate light on a chip in a well-controlled manner.

Topics:

1. Theory, simulation, and implementation of metamaterials integrated on a chip;
2. Modeling and fabrication techniques, including multipole decomposition, transformation optics, laser writing, and others to explore the rogue waves phenomenon, photonic jet and hook;
3. Emerging application such as, but not limited to, classical and quantum computing, on-chip nonlinear optics, optomechanical manipulation, spontaneous emission and resonance energy transfer, cloaking and sensing to list a few.

Confirmed Invited Speakers:

1. Stanislav Derevyanko, Ben-Gurion University, Israel
2. Atefeh Habibpourmoghadam, Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
3. Sven Hofling, University of Würzburg, Germany
4. Pavel Levkin, KIT, Germany
5. Misha Sumetsky, Aston University, UK

SP14. "Bottom-up approaches, new fabrication routes and ENSEMBLE3"

Organizers: Dorota Pawlak (ITME, Poland) & Virginie Ponsinet (CNRS-Université de Bordeaux, France)

The session will cover all aspects of novel approaches to manufacturing of materials with special electromagnetic properties as metamaterials and plasmonic materials. The stress will be on bottom-up approach however the session aims to bring together also scientists applying novel ideas in top-down manufacturing methods. The session will include manufacturing, theory, characterization and application. The session aims to bring together material scientists, experts in electromagnetic theory and characterization as well as researchers presenting applications of the materials.

Topics:

1. Bottom-up fabrication routes for nanomaterials
2. New fabrication methods for nanophotonics
3. Self-assembled metamaterials
4. Disordered and non-periodic metamaterials and metasurfaces
5. Colloidal optical nanoresonators

Confirmed Invited Speakers:

1. Ashod Aradian, CRPP - CNRS, France
2. Antonio Balena, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Italy
3. Kingshuk Bandopadhyay, ENSEMBLE3, Poland
4. Alexandre Baron, University of Bordeaux, France
5. Glenna Drisko, University of Bordeaux, France
6. Zlata Fedorova, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
7. David Grosso, SOLNIL, France
8. Andrés Guerrero-Martínez, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
9. Huang Heyuan, Northwestern Polytechnical University, China
10. Roberto Li Voti, Universita di Roma La Sapienza, Italy
11. Parvaneh Mokarian-Tabari, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
12. Kamil Orzechowski, Warsaw Univ. of Technology, Poland
13. Piotr Piotrowski, Ensemble3 Centre of Excellence, Poland
14. Sezer Seçkin, Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V, Germany
15. Alexander N. Sprafke, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
16. Isabelle Staude, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
17. Alessandro Veltri, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador
18. Gail Vinnacombe-Willson, CIC biomaGUNE, Spain
19. Vy Yam, Paris-Saclay University, France
20. Anastasiia Zaleska, King's College London, UK
21. Jaka Zaplotnik, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

SP15. "Non-Hermitian Photonics: Topological, Disordered and Quantum systems"

Organizers: Konstantinos Makris (University of Crete & IESL-FORTH, Greece) & Li Ge (CUNY, USA)

Exceptional points, non-orthogonal eigenmodes, PT-symmetric systems and many other general notions and concepts of non-Hermitian physics have attracted a lot of attention lately. Such an interest was initially driven by PT-symmetric optics and non-Hermitian photonics and now has led to an amazingly high number of ground-breaking experiments with novel applications. From single mode PT-lasers, ultrasensitive microcavity sensors, optical isolators, unidirectional invisibility to broadband wireless power transfer, PT- metamaterials, topological lasers and quantum non-Hermitian systems, this new research field proves that the synergy of gain and loss distributions can be a different way for unprecedented control over light propagation and emission. This session will focus on the most recent theoretical and experimental advances at the frontier of the physics of non- Hermitian complex systems and their potential applications.

Topics:

1. Non-Hermitian photonics, plasmonics and metamaterials
2. Non-Hermitian topological photonics and lasers
3. Non-Hermitian quantum systems
4. Wave propagation in disordered non-Hermitian complex media
5. Exceptional points in optical and photonic systems and applications
6. Interplay between nonlinearity, non-Hermiticity and topology
7. Novel fabrication methods for non-Hermitian photonic structures
8. New experiments in non-Hermitian Photonics

SP16. "Nanostructures meet Perovskites: Advanced Applications and Future Challenges"

Organizers: Angela Barreda (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain) & Eduardo López Fraguas (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain)

The combination of perovskites with nanostructures has emerged as a transformative approach to overcoming limitations in conventional materials and boosting the performance of devices across a range of advanced technological fields, including photovoltaics, optoelectronics, and quantum technologies. Perovskites, with their exceptional optical and electronic properties, such as high absorption coefficients, long carrier diffusion lengths, and tunable bandgaps, serve as an ideal foundation for next-generation devices. Moreover, integrating them with carefully designed nanostructures introduces new functionalities and performance enhancements that would be difficult to achieve with perovskites or nanostructures alone. This special session will cover theoretical and experimental progress in the exploration of perovskites and nanostructures for light harvesting, light-emitting diodes and photodetectors, and the development of efficient single-photon sources or quantum emitters.

Topics:

1. Novel optoelectronic properties of perovskite materials
2. Novel applications of perovskite materials
3. Theory and characterization of novel perovskite materials
4. Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
5. Photodetectors
6. Solar Cells
7. Quantum Technologies
8. Catalysis methods
9. Biosensors

Confirmed Invited Speakers:

1. Hyun Suk Jung, Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea
2. Luigi Matera, Laboratoire Albert Fert, CNRS, Thales, Univ. Paris-Saclay, France
3. Hernán Míguez, Institute of Material Science of Seville (CSIC), Spain
4. Cesare Soci, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

SP17. "Nano-Lasers, Spasers, and Nanostructures with Quantum Elements"

Organizers: Alessandro Veltri (Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador) & Ashod Aradian (Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal - CNRS, France)

This session aims to bring together researchers to discuss both recent advancements and enduring challenges in this field, which continues to be a fertile ground for innovation in nanophotonics.

Topics:

1. Theoretical advancements in the modeling of nano-lasers and spasers
2. Experimental breakthroughs in the fabrication and characterization of these devices
3. Emerging applications of hybrid nanostructures, including sensing, quantum information, and high-speed photonics

Confirmed Invited Speakers:

1. Karen Caicedo, ISASI - CNR, Italy
2. Vincenzo Caligiuri, Università della Calabria, Italy
3. Yu-Hsun Chou, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan
4. Mária Csete, University of Szeged, Hungary
5. Daler Dadadzhanov, ITMO University and Tel-Aviv University, Russia and Israel
6. Blas Durá-Azorín, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Spain
7. Tsung-Yu Huang, Ming-Chi University of Technology, Taiwan
8. Maria Antonia Iatì, IPCF - CNR, Italy
9. Yi Yu, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark

SP18. "Plasmonics and Nanophotonics: Fundamentals and Applications"

Organizers: Hong Wei (Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China)

The excitation of surface plasmons in metal nanostructures enables manipulating light beyond the diffraction limit, which can be utilized for enhancing and tailoring light-matter interactions and developing ultra-compact high-performance nanophotonic devices. With the emergence of novel nanophotonic materials and concepts and the developments of advanced techniques, plasmonics and nanophotonics continuously propel fundamental sciences and various applications. This session will cover recent advances in both the fundamentals and the applications of plasmonics and nanophotonics.

Topics:

1. Plasmon-enhanced spectroscopy, plasmon-assisted processes
2. Plasmon-exciton coupling, plasmon-mediated radiation of quantum emitters, nanocavity quantum electrodynamics
3. Plasmonic nanogaps, plasmon coupling in composite nanostructures
4. Plasmonic/photonic nanocircuits, active and passive nanodevices
5. Fundamentals for manipulating light at nanometer scale, quantum plasmonics and nanophotonics
6. Plasmonic sensing and imaging
7. Plasmochemistry
8. Plasmonic metamaterials and metasurfaces
9. Advanced nanofabrication and characterization techniques
10. New materials for plasmonics and nanophotonics

Confirmed Invited Speakers:

1. Kai Chang, Zhejiang University, China
2. Qin Chen, Jinan University, China
3. Zhanghai Chen, Xiamen University, China
4. Maciej Ćwierzona, CNRS, Université de Bourgogne Europe, France
5. Qing Dai, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
6. Weibo Gao, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
7. Ying Gu, Peking University, China
8. Markus Huber, University of Regensburg, Germany
9. Hui Liu, Nanjing University, China
10. Guowei Lu, Peking University, China
11. Lei Shao, Sun Yat-sen University, China
12. Bo Wang, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
13. Pan Wang, Zhejiang University, China
14. Lin Wu, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore
15. Chunxiang Xu, Southeast University, China
16. Fan Yang, Sichuan University, China
17. Longkun Yang, Capital Normal University, China
18. Hairong Zheng, Shaanxi Normal University, China