Traditional nanophotonics is concerned with engineering material systems to control light on a nanometer scale. However, over the last years, it has become clear that the reverse is also possible, i.e., to engineer light modes so as to modify material properties and dynamics. Confining light modes to small volumes (optical or microwave cavities, waveguides, fibers, plasmonic structures, etc.) provides a platform for strong coherent light-matter interactions at the quantum level.

The workshop aims to bring together researchers with expertise in complementary aspects of this highly interdisciplinary field, covering topics such as quantum optics & open quantum systems, quantum chemistry, condensed matter & many-body physics, and macroscopic QED. The goal is to discuss the current state of theoretical approaches and facilitate communication between different fields, as well as to understand fundamental aspects of the important mechanisms at play and to assess and discuss current and possible future applications and technological promises of molecular polaritonics.

This year’s edition is the second one in what is hoped to be a longer series following the success of Molecular Polaritonics 2019 (organized in July 2019 in Spain). Pdfs of talks and posters from the last edition can be found here. The workshop was held in Straubing, Germany and supported by MPL, the MMUSCLES ERC grant, and the Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC) at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Claudiu Genes, who leads a research group at MPL and was one of the two organizers of the event, is thrilled with the results of the workshop: "The workshop was a full success as it proves once again that the exchange of ideas between traditionally very distinct fields can be achieved when a common goal is pursued."

Picture 1: © Johannes Feist