September 11 seminar: Viktoriia Babicheva

September 11, 2026

Controlling Quantum Emission with Multipolar Nanoantennas

Viktoriia Babicheva, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, UNM

3:00 pm, UNM Centennial Engineering Center, Room 1026
Online Guests: Contact bidram@unm.edu for a Zoom link

Abstract: Multipolar resonances in deeply subwavelength nanoantennas offer a powerful means of tailoring electromagnetic phenomena and light–matter interactions at the nanoscale. By manipulating the dimensions, shape, and constituent materials of these nanostructures, distinct electric and magnetic modes can be selectively excited and spectrally positioned across the visible and near-infrared ranges, producing pronounced local field enhancement. High-index, low-loss dielectric nanoantennas enable controlled interplay among several resonant modes, allowing their interference to be exploited for shaping the angular distribution and directionality of scattered radiation. The interaction between quantum emitters and multipolar nanoantennas is also examined, with the available resonant modes strongly influencing spontaneous emission, radiation patterns, and energy-transfer efficiency. In particular, the impact of refractive-index contrast on the excitation, strength, and mutual interaction of different multipole contributions is considered as a mechanism for tailoring both scattering and emitter radiation. Such multipolar nanostructures provide a versatile foundation for quantum nanophotonic technologies, offering opportunities for compact light emitters, enhanced sensing, and on-chip quantum optical architectures.

Bio: Viktoriia Babicheva has recently been promoted to Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of New Mexico. She joined UNM in 2019 after her postdoctoral work in the College of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona, Tucson. Prior to that, she worked in the Birck Nanotechnology Center at Purdue University and the Center for Nano-Optics at Georgia State University. Her research focuses on nanophotonics, nano-optics, and photonic materials, with an emphasis on metasurfaces, optical resonances, and infrared photonic devices. She has authored over 85 peer-reviewed journal articles, over 75 refereed conference papers, two book chapters, and one monograph. She served as a Principal Editor of MRS Advances (2015–2020) and as an Associate Editor (2021–2025). She currently serves on the editorial boards of Nano Select (Wiley) and the SPIE Journal of Optical Microsystems as an Associate Editor. She is a Senior Member of IEEE, SPIE, and Optica. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in engineering electromagnetics and computational electromagnetics in the Electrical Engineering and Optical Science and Engineering programs.