IISER MOHALI

Abstract: Quantum technologies usually rely on cryogenics and isolation to protect fragile coherence. Plasmonic nanocavities take the opposite route: they are intrinsically lossy, yet confine light so tightly that coupling to single molecules outpaces dissipation, even at room temperature [1]. The same localisation of electromagnetic fields lets molecules report mid-infrared light through visible signals [2,3] and relay vibrational energy to neighbours before it dissipates [4]. Engineering the gap itself, by brightening dark modes [5], amplifying chiroptical effects [6] and optically writing atomic-scale changes [7], controls how light enters, concentrates and escapes. Lossy coupled systems thus offer a robust route to enhanced light-matter coupling and single-molecule sensing in ambient conditions.

References:
[1] Chikkaraddy, R., et al. (2016) Nature, 535, 127–130.
[2] Chikkaraddy, R., et al. (2022) Light: Science & Applications, 11, 19.
[3] Chikkaraddy, R., et al. (2023) Nature Photonics, 17, 865–871.
[4] Pal, A., et al. (2026) arXiv:2605.19498.
[5] Chikkaraddy, R., et al. (2023) ACS Photonics, 10, 493–499.
[6] Hou, Y., et al. (2025) Nano Letters, 25, 1158–1164.
[7] Taneja, C., et al. (2024) ACS Photonics, 11, 5205–5214.

About the speaker: Dr Rohit Chikkaraddy is an Associate Professor and UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at the University of Birmingham, working on light-matter interactions in plasmonic and nanoscale systems, where light can be squeezed into volumes far smaller than its wavelength. After a BS-MS dual degree at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Rohit completed a PhD at the University of Cambridge and went on to hold a Research Fellowship at Trinity College, Cambridge, before moving to Birmingham. Rohit’s research has been recognised with the IOP Henry Moseley Medal and Prize in 2024, awarded for exceptional early-career contributions.
https://sites.google.com/view/chikkaraddy
https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=q9tcgjkAAAAJ&hl=en