RS Fellow - EPSRC grant (2014): Ab initio many-body theory of plasmons in nanomaterials

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Nanoplasmonic devices, capable of confining light into ultrasmall domains well below the operating wavelength, bear great promise for novel energy technology applications, such as plasmonic photovoltaics or plasmonic water splitting. The theoretical description of such systems, however, is very challenging: it requires the combined modeling of the classical characteristics of the plasmon, captured by the Maxwell equations of electrodynamics, and its quantum nature, which is described by Schrödinger's equation. In the proposed project, we will develop a novel theoretical and computational framework for the description of electronic excitations, such as plasmons or magnons, in contact with complex environments. We will apply this approach to study fundamental processes in plasmonic, magnonic and photoelectrochemical systems und use our insights to suggest improved design principles for future energy conversion and information technology devices.