News
Now Part of CRC 1772
We’re thrilled that our group is now associated with the newly established Collaborative Research Center 1772, focused on exploring heterostructures of molecules and two-dimensional materials. We are looking forward to collaborations with an interdisciplinary team of physics and chemistry groups from Berlin’s three major universities. Learn more about CRC 1772 here: www.crc1772.de
Oct 08, 2025
Now Published - Ultraconfined THz Polaritons
Now out in Nature Materials ! We show how phonon polaritons can be used to shrink the long wavelengths of terahertz (THz) light to UV wavelength scales. This record-high confinement is possible through new van der Waals materials called HfSe 2 and HfS 2 that possess an extreme light-matter coupling, opening a route toward miniaturized THz devices. The project emerged from a collabroation between the groups of Josh Caldwell (Vanderbilt University, US), Alex Paarmann (FHI Berlin) and Lukas Eng (TU Dresden) with joint beam times at the free electron laser of the Helmholz Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf. It was fantastic to be part of this team!
Sep 15, 2025
Welcome Jasper Schwering
Jasper Schwering joins our team as a master's student for an internship. He will be working on the development of a second-harmonic generation microscope to characterize 2D materials.
Sep 01, 2025
Welcome Niels Brumby
Niels Brumby joins our team as a master's student for research on optical anisotropy and nonlinear optical properties of novel van der Waals materials. He works in a collaborative project between FU Berlin and the group of Alex Paarmann at the Fritz Haber Institute.
Aug 11, 2025
Roadmap for Photonics with 2D Materials
Now published in ACS Photonics ! It was a pleasure to contribute a chapter about ' Optical Anisotropy of 2D van der Waals Materials ' alongside Alex Paarmann, Pablo Alonso-González, Alexey Nikitin, Andrea Alú, Tony Low, Valentyn Volkov, Luis Martı́n-Moreno, and Josh Caldwell.
Aug 03, 2025
PhD Opening: LUNA Project
If you are interested in 2D materials, nonlinear optics and nanophotonics, enjoy experimental work, and would like to contribute to establishing a new lab, we look forward to your application! We are looking for a PhD candidate to work within the Emmy Noether-funded project 'Luminescence Upconversion NAnoscopy (LUNA)'. Following a successful mid-term evaluation of the project, the position can be extended to a total duration of 3.5 years. Application deadline Aug 7 th 2025 >> more details here
Jul 10, 2025
Start of Emmy Noether Project
Extremely happy to start my Emmy Noether project 'Luminescence Upconversion NAnoscopy - LUNA'. The German Research Foundation (DFG) will support us with more than €2.1 million for the next six years in two project phases. In the LUNA project, we will develop approaches to combine infrared with visible nanophotonics, with the aim to efficiently convert light between these spectral ranges on the nanoscale. This will involve experiments with phonon polaritons, excitons, and color centers in solid-state materials, employing near-field optical microscopy and advanced nonlinear optical techniques. Big thanks to everyone who supported me during the preparation of the proposal and to all present and past collaborators!
May 01, 2025