Overview

Emma Bartelsen is a 3rd year Ph.D. student in the Interdisciplinary Materials Science program studying under Dr. Joshua Caldwell. Her research pertains to the confinement of electromagnetic energy in the nano- to atomic-scale and the interactions between light and matter within these confined systems. This involves the sub-diffraction confinement of light using 'polaritons' within the optical spectral domain (primarily the infrared), the design of nanoscale optical components, and identifying and characterizing novel optical, electro-optical, and electronic materials. She is utilizing these techniques to design gas sensors for greenhouse gas detection.