DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY

Professor Stern’s research is focused on the fundamental quantum interactions of photons with atoms, nano-scale structures, and magnetic materials. Stern’s research objective is to explore the novel optical, spin, and magnetic properties of integrated nano-scale and hybrid photonic systems, focusing on the quantum interactions and collective behavior between photons and low-dimensional electronic structures. Probing a variety of systems such as single-atomic layer materials and hybrid photonic devices with diverse experimental approaches such as time-resolved spectroscopy and single-photon detection, the Stern Group works to understand how light and matter interact on the smallest scales, with potential impact throughout the disciplines of photonics, quantum information, magnetism, materials science, and nanoscience.

Awards and Honors

• Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, 2013
• Department of Energy Early Career Research Award, 2014
• Northwestern-Argonne Early Career Investigator Award for Energy Research, 2014
• Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, 2016

Selected Publications

• T.  LaMountain, H. Bergeron, I. Balla, T. K. Stanev, Mark C. Hersam, N. P. Stern
  “Valley-Selective Optical Stark Effect Probed by Kerr Rotation.”
  arXiv:1710.09739 (2017)
• S.C. Ellis, S. Kuhlmann, K. Kuehn, H. Spinka, D. Underwood, R. R. Gupta, L. Ocola, P. Liu, G. Wei, N. P. Stern, J. Bland-Hawthorn, P. Tuthill
  “Photonic ring resonator filters for astronomical OH suppression."
  Optics Express 25, 15868-15889, (2017)  
• Y.-J. Chen, J. D. Cain, T. K. Stanev, V. P. Dravid, N. P. Stern
  “Valley-Polarized Exciton-Polaritons in a Monolayer Semiconductor."
  Nature Photonics 11, 431–435, (2017)    
• G. Wei, D. A. Czaplewski, E. J. Lenferink, T. K. Stanev, I.W. Jung, N. P. Stern
  “Size-tunable Lateral Confinement in Monolayer Semiconductors.”
  Scientific Reports 7, Article 3324, (2017)
• D. J. Park, J. C. Ku, L. Sun, C. M. Lethiec, N. P. Stern, G. C. Schatz, and C. A. Mirkin
  “Directional emission from dye-functionalized plasmonic DNA superlattice microcavities.”
  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114, 457-461, (2017)
• G. Wei, T. K. Stanev, D. A. Czaplewski, I. W. Jung, and N. P. Stern
  “Silicon-nitride photonic circuits interfaced with monolayer MoS2.”
  Applied Phyics Letters 107, 091112, (2015)
• E. J. Lenferink, G. Wei, N. P. Stern
  "Coherent optical non-reciporcity in axisymmetric resonators."
  Optics Express 22, 16099- 16111 (2014)
• D. J. Alton, N. P. Stern, Takao Aoki, H. Lee, E. Ostby, K. J. Vahala, and H. J. Kimble
  “Strong interactions of single atoms and photons near a dielectric boundary”
  Nature Physics 7, 159 (2011)
• N. P. Stern, D. W. Steuerman, S. Mack, A. C. Gossard, and D.D. Awschalom
  “Time-resolved dynamics of the spin Hall effect”
  Nature Physics 4, 843 (2008)
• N. P. Stern, S. Ghosh, G. Xiang, M. Zhu, N. Samarth, and D. D. Awschalom
  “Current-Induced Polarization and the Spin Hall Effect at Room Temperature”
  Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 126603 (2006)