Diederik Wiersma : "Nature Inspired Intelligent Photonic Materials"

The seminar on "Nature Inspired Intelligent Photonic Materials"  by Prof. Diederik Wiersma, president of the National Metrology Institute INRIM in Turin, professor in physics at the University of Florence, and affiliated with the LENS laboratory will take place on February 5th, 2.00 P.M.

 Diederik has a long and impress track record of highly creative and impactful and cross-disciplinary research in optics.

Biography : Born in the Netherlands and PhD at the Univ. of Amsterdam in 1995. He is president of the National Metrology Institute INRIM in Turin, professor in physics at the University of Florence, and affiliated with the LENS laboratory. His research interests lie in the fundamental properties of photonic materials and their practical applications for energy, environment, and health. In particular, he has played a pioneering role in the field of disordered photonics, random lasers, and recently started to explore adaptive/intelligent materials and nano robotics. Of his scientific papers on these topics, over 20 papers were published in the Nature and Science journals including several cover stories. He appreciates teaching based on innovative methods similar to peer-instruction. Received the Ugo Campisano award in 2004, the premio Tartufari for physics in 2014, and the Enrico Fermi prize in 2015.

Abstract : We will discuss the applications of a new class of photonic materials based on smart polymers that respond to external stimuli. These materials can change shaped and size based on the environmental conditions. Since their photonic properties are also based on their structure, it is possible to create photonic arms and legs with a certain “smart”response. It is for instance possible to create a microscopic hand that recognises particles of certain colours, grabbing them automatically. We will discuss various applications that range from robotics, to biomedical devices and new materials for photonic data storage and security.