Physics and Astronomy

Professor Euan Hendry

Professor Euan Hendry

Professor
Physics and Astronomy

Exploring the interaction between light and matter lies at the heart of all of my research. In recent years I have also developed a strong interest in photonics, and my most recent research focusses on two themes, detailed below

 

THz imaging:

Terahertz electromagnetic radiation is one of the last remaining unexplored regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Until relatively recently, the THz region (0.1-3 THz, 0.1-3 mm), occupying a large portion of the electromagnetic spectrum between the infrared and microwave bands, has remained in relative obscurity due to a lack of efficient laboratory emitters, detectors and optical components compared to neighboring microwave and optical bands. Here, we explore the potential for developing new THz components and sensors to fill this “gap”, utilising novel magnetic and plasmonic responses of many materials in this region. We have also developed several powerful new forms of imaging in this spectral region, based on computational approaches. Imaging with these approaches can be “real” time (i.e. near video rate), and can even be used to see objects considerably smaller than the wavelength of the radiation, breaking the diffraction limit by more than two orders of magnitude.

 

Nonlinear optics:

In recent years, the field of plasmonics has offered a tantalizing glimpse into new possibilities to control light on nanometre length scale. However, the enormous potential of plasmonics as a means to manipulate light at the nanoscale is blocked by ohmic losses associated with the coinage metals currently used. Many real-life applications meanwhile require major improvements in performance, tuneability in wavelength, active control and modulation (for signal switching), and the direct generation and detection of plasmons. Looking to the future, there have been fantastic breakthroughs in recent months through non-linear optical measurements of 2D materials and thin films. Here, we explore the possibility of replacing conventional metals with new atomic scale, graphene-like layered materials. These materials have tuneable electromagnetic responses, as free electrons can controllably introduced by chemical, electrical or photo- doping, making the manipulating light on extreme sub-wavelength length scales possible.

 

Further details can be found at the group research pages.

 

Education and Employment

  • 1997 - 2001 MSci in Chemical Physics, University of Glasgow
  • 2001 - 2005 PhD in Ultrafast Spectroscopy, University of Amsterdam
  • 2005 - 2006 Post doctoral research associate,AMOLF Institute Amsterdam
  • 2006 - 2011 RCUK fellow and lecturer in Physics,University of Exeter
  • 2011 - 2012 Senior lecturer in Physics, University of Exeter
  • 2012 - 2018 Associate Professor in Physics, University of Exeter
  • 2018 - Professor of Ultrafast Physics and Director of Research, University of Exeter

Funded Research Projects

  • (PI)“Semiconductor surface plasmons: a route to tunable THz devices and sensors” EPSRC EP/F026757/1, 1/1/2008 – 31/12/2011, £325k
  • (PI)“Non-equilibrium and relaxation phenomena in graphene-based devices” EPSRC EP/G041482/1, 1/9/2009 – 31/8/2012, £670k
  • (CI)“MAGNONICS”, FP7 Framework grant 228673, 1/9/2009 – 31/8/2012, €895k
  • (CI)"A Plasmonic Antenna for Magneto-Optical Imaging at the Deep Nanoscale", EPSRC EP/I038470/1, 24/9/12 – 23/9/16, £637k
  • (PI)“Tailored Control of Terahertz Radiation”, EPSRC industrial CASE award 12440575 with QinetiQ, 1/10/2012 – 1/10/2016, £93k
  • (CI)“Novel Type of Terahertz Devices (NoTeDev)”, Marie Curie Training Network grant 607521, 1/10/2013 – 1/10/2018, €572k
  • (PI)“Graphene-Based Single-Photon Nonlinear Optical Devices (GRASP)”,FP7 FET grant, 1/1/2014 – 1/1/2018, €395k
  • (PI)“Graphene nanophotonics: Smaller, stronger, faster”, EPSRC fellowship EP/K041215/1, 1/1/2014 – 31/3/2019, £967k
  • (PI)”A Prototype THz Microscope”, EPSRC IAA, 1/10/2016 – 31/3/2017, £35k
  • (CI)"TEAM-A: The tailored electromagnetic and acoustic materials accelerator”, EPSRC EP/R004781/1, 1/10/2017 – present, £2,433k
  • (CI)"Towards Innovative Passive Stand-Off Terahertz Imaging”, QuantIC, 1/5/2018 – present, £58k
  • (PI)”Extension: Towards Innovative Passive Stand-Off Terahertz Imaging”, QuantIC, 1/5/2018 – present, £29k
  • (CI)"EXTREMAG: an Exeter-based Time Resolved Magnetism Facility“, EPSRC EP/R008809/1, 1/1/2018 – present, £1,128k
  • (PI)"Computational spectral imaging in the THz band”, EPSRC EP/S036466/1, 1/10/2019 – present, £765k

Invited Presentations

  • "Carrier Relaxation Dynamics in CdSe Nanocrystals", Jubilee Nanotechnology Symposium, Bar-Ilan University, Israel, 29-31 May 2006
  • "Optical Switching of Semiconductor Surface Plasmon Polaritons",THz Science, Royal Academy, Amsterdam, 14-16 June 2007
  • "Exploring electron dynamics in semiconductors using THz light", University of Strathclyde, 12th November 2008
  • "Exploring electron dynamics in semiconductors using THz light", University of Oxford, 18th June 2009
  • "Exploring electron dynamics in semiconductors using THz light",ULTRA Summer School, Uppsala, Sweden, 21-22 September 2009
  • “Semiconductor plasmons for THz frequency plasmonics”, SPIE Photonics West, Ultrafast Phenomena in Semiconductors and Nanostructures XV. San Francisco, Jan. 22 to 27, 2011
  • "Generating and utilizing superchiral light", University of Glasgow, 22nd September 2011
  • “Nonlinear optical measurements few layer graphene", University of Bath, 12th January 2012
  • “THz spectroscopy: from phonons to magnons”, International Advanced School on Magnonics, Santa Margherita Ligure 3-7 September, 2012
  • “Chiral electromagnetic fields generated by nanostructures”,ICOAM 2013, New Lanark, 3rd - 5th of June 2013
  • “Ultrafast optical measurements of graphene",Graphene Spectroscopy, Cambridge, 29th October 2013
  • “Ultrafast relaxation processes in graphene", University of Bath, 15th Novemeber 2013
  • “Ultrafast relaxation processes in graphene", University of Cardiff, 27th November 2013
  • “Chirality in near fields”, PND International Workshop, Exeter, May 1st - 2nd 2014
  • “Dynamic photogratings for THz modulation and imaging”, Photon 14, Imperial College, September 1-4th 2014
  • “Ultrafast relaxation and plasmon excitation in graphene”, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany, 7th October 2014
  • “THz time domain spectroscopy and imaging”, Workshop on THz photonics, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 7 – 10th July, 2015
  • “THz time domain spectroscopy and imaging”, International School of Nanophotonics and Photovoltaics, Cefalù Sicily, Italy 15th - 23rd September 2015
  • “All-optical generation of surface plasmons in graphene”, New horizons in nanophotonics, Royal Society Discussion Meeting, Chicheley Hall 23rd-24th May 2016
  • “All-optical generation of surface plasmons in graphene”, Imperial College, 27th June 2016
  • “Chirality in evanescent near fields”, Meta’16, Malaga, Spain 25th-28th July 2016
  • “Nonlinear optics and the generation of surface plasmons in graphene”, Bristol University, 16h Nov2016
  • “Nonlinear optics and the generation of surface plasmons in graphene”, Bath University, 12h Dec 2016
  • “Nonlinear optics and the generation of surface plasmons in graphene”, Birmingham University, 31st May, 2017
  • “Materials in the far infrared”, Σ-Tech days 2017, Limoges, France, 19th-23rd June, 2017
  • “Subwavelength THz imaging using optically patterned photomodulators”, CLEO’17, Munich, Germany, 26th-29th June 2017
  • “Single pixel THz imaging using near field photomodulation”, IRMMW 2017, Cancun, Mexico 27th August-1st Sept 2017
  • “All-optical generation of surface plasmons in graphene”, Lancaster University, 10th Nov, 2017
  • “All-optical generation of surface plasmons in graphene”, University of Vienna, Austria, 13th Nov, 2017
  • “All-optical generation of surface plasmons in graphene”, Grand Challenges and Solutions in 2D Materials Science and Technologies, Manchester, 24-26 Jan 2018
  • “Single Pixel THz Imaging” 2nd Terahertz and Materials workshop on 21st of March, University of Chester, 21st March 2018
  • “Single Pixel THz Imaging” 6th EOS (European Optical Society) Topical Meeting on Terahertz Science and Technology, Berlin, 6th - 9th of May, 2018
  • “THz imaging”, QinetiQ research site, Farnborough, 25th Jun 2018
  • “Chiral interactions in the near field”, Amolf Institute Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 17th Sept 2018
  • “Computational imaging at THz frequencies”, Max Planck Institute, Mainz, Germany, 27th Nov 2018
  • “Computational imaging at THz frequencies”, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany, 30th Nov 2018
  • “Computational imaging in the THz Band and its applications to 2D materials and graphene” THz Microscopy, Photon Science Institute, Manchester, 9th Jan 2019
  • “Computational imaging at THz frequencies”, POEM 19, UCL, London, 9th – 12 April 2019

Contributions to the Community

  • Sat on the organising committee for OTST 2011, Santa Barbara
  • Organiser of "Optics of Graphene and 2D Materials", 8th - 9th September 2015, Exeter.
  • External examiner for the award of PhD degrees at many UK and European universities
  • Member of the EPSRC peer review college
  • Reviewer for funding bodies including EPSRC, European Research Council and Netherlands Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM)

 

Memberships

 

I am a member of the Institute of Physics.

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