Abstract

Sir John Pendry from Imperial College gives a talk on controlling light in the world of nanoscience – see the abstract below for more details.

Admission is free to CUPS members, or £2 otherwise. As always, wine and cheese will be served after the talk.

(Abstract:) Conventional optics controls light on the scale of roughly a micron – ­approximately the wavelength of visible light. To control light in the world of nanoscience requires a new understanding in which we look inside the wavelength at the component electric and magnetic fields. Exploiting the new concept of ‘transformation optics’ we have designed devices that compress light into less than a square nanometre opening the way to single molecule sensing and switching light with light ­ the optical transistor. Finally I shall discuss negative refraction and how it leads to the construction of a lens whose resolution is unlimited by the wavelength of light.