The observation that the properties of materials can change when the reactants are inside an optical cavity, suggests that cavities may be promising tools for engineer materials. By confining specific light modes, optical cavities or other nanophotonic structures, such as plasmonic surfaces or particles, increase the interaction between the material and light, which can lead to the formation of new hybrid light-matter states called polaritons. These coherent superposition of excitations in the material and of the cavity not only delocalizes the excitation over many molecules inside the material but also changes their potential energy surface. This project seeks to exploit these two fascinating aspects to develop new light-harvesting systems for collecting and storing solar energy.

2024

2028