Our research group explores the intersection of nonlinear optics, quantum optics, integrated optics and ultrafast spectroscopy leveraging the unique properties of low-dimensional materials, e.g., van der Waals layered compounds like graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs).

With their strong light-matter interaction and exceptional nonlinearities, these atomically thin materials can be nano-engineered into highly efficient and ultracompact platforms (e.g., periodically-poled crystals, metasurfaces, etc, up to 1000x thinner than conventional nonlinear crystals) for a wide range of nonlinear processes, including optical parametric amplification, or entangled photon pair generation via spontaneous parametric down-conversion(SPDC). Particularly promising for photonic quantum computing, in which quantum operations are performed by manipulating the quantum states of photons, low-dimensional materials serve as nanoscale sources of entangled photon pairs, i.e., qubits.

From unveiling new quantum phenomena to developing compact, efficient platforms for next-generation photonic quantum technologies, we develop innovative solutions to push the boundaries of what’s possible at the nanoscale.

Scientific network and main active collaborations:

• P. J. Schuck, D. N. Basov, M. Delor, X. Zhu, X. Roy, Columbia University, USA

• A. Marini, University of L’Aquila, Italy

• L. A. Rozema, P. Walther, University of Vienna, Austria

• A. Alù, City University of New York (CUNY), USA

Publication highlights:

• Z. H. Peng, M. Cotrufo, D. Xu, S. A. Mann, S. Qiu, D. N. Basov, M. Delor, A. Alù, P. J. Schuck, Chiara Trovatello “3R-stacked transition metal dichalcogenide non-local metasurface for efficient second-harmonic generation”, Nature Photonics (2025) DOI

• D. Xu, Z. H. Peng, Chiara Trovatello et al. “Spatiotemporal imaging of nonlinear optics in van der Waals waveguides”, Nature Nanotechnology (2025) DOI

• Chiara Trovatello et al. “Quasi-phase-matched up- and down-conversion in periodically poled layered semiconductors”, Nature Photonics, 19, 291–299 (2025) DOI

• Chiara Trovatello, A. Marini, M. Cotrufo, A. Alù, P. J. Schuck & G. Cerullo “Tunable Optical Nonlinearities in Layered Materials”, ACS Photonics, 11, 8, 2860–2873 (2024) DOI

• F. Mooshammer, X. Xu, Chiara Trovatello et al. “Enabling Waveguide Optics in Rhombohedral-Stacked Transition Metal Dichalcogenides with Laser-Patterned Grating Couplers”, ACS Nano, 18, 5, 4118–4130 (2024) DOI

• X. Xu, Chiara Trovatello et al. “Towards compact phase-matched and waveguided nonlinear optics in atomically layered semiconductors”, Nature Photonics, 16, 698–706 (2022) DOI

• Chiara Trovatello et al. “Optical parametric amplification by monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides”, Nature Photonics, 15, 10–16 (2021) DOI

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