Alexandra Boltasseva, Assistant Professor

Press coverage

March 2024

Mighty MXenes are ready for launch - Nearly 15 years after their discovery, the 2D materials are close to market. But will they find their killer app?, C&EN, March 25, 2024 - A cover story about MXenes based on interviews with M. Naguib, B. Anasori, T. Torita, A. Boltasseva, and other leading researchers in the field.

September 2023

Faster than can be explained: Optical time crystals could revolutionize optics, SciTechDaily.com(also kabartotabuan.com, chitchatpost.com)

August 2023

Purdue streak camera innovation could capture actions that last femtoseconds or less - a Purdue News article highlighting our research aimed at improving upon traditional streak cameras' performance whose time-resolution lies in the 600 to 800 femtosecond range.

August 2023

Advancing Quantum Super-Resolution Imaging with Machine Learning - a Purdue ECE News article (Aug. 18, 2023) highlighting our paper Machine learning assisted quantum super-resolution microscopy.

September 2021

Media response to our paper High-harmonic generation in metallic titanium nitride:

Study: First observation of high-harmonic generation in robust, refractory metals:

September 2020

Media response to our paper Rapid Classification of Quantum Sources Enabled by Machine Learning:

New machine learning-assisted method rapidly classifies quantum sources:

August 2020

Acceleration to Hundreds of THz, 25.08.2020, kommersant.ru (in Russian)

June 2020

Media response to our paper Determining plasmonic hot-carrier energy distributions via single-molecule transport measurements:

Discovery unlocks 'hot' electrons for more efficient energy use:

First measurement of electron energy distributions, could enable sustainable energy technologies:

Discovery Unlocks 'Hot' Electrons for More Efficient Solar Panels:

Study of Hot Electrons Could Improve Efficiency of Energy Technology:

May 2020

Machine learning assists in the fast, efficient design of nanophotonic devices, AIP Scilight, May 29, 2020 - in response to our paper Machine-learning-assisted metasurface design for high-efficiency thermal emitter optimization

July 2019

Light may increase magnetic memory speeds 1,000 times, decrease electricity consumption, Purdue Research Foundation News.

July 2019

Still Plenty of Room at the Bottom, Opt. Phot. News. This article tied to the 60-th Anniversary of R. Feynman's visionary speech cites our work on synchrotron radiation from an accelerating light pulse.

February 01, 2019

Overcoming Doubts with Help from Advisors and Role Models, NYAS.org.

December 2018

Single NV centers produce 30 million photons per second at room temperature, Optics and Photonics News.

November 2018

Interview for Materials Zone

October 2018

Media response to our paper Synchrotron radiation from an accelerating light pulse:

Light-bending tech shrinks kilometers-long radiation system to millimeter scale, October 25, 2018

Metamaterials allow researchers to shrink a synchrotron onto a chip, Chemical & Engineering News, October 25, 2018

Researchers are developing small device that bends light to generate new radiation (in German), tekk.tv, October 25, 2018

U-M researchers develop small device that bends light to generate new radiation, Michigan University News, October 25, 2018

Small Device Creates Radiation from Light, IdeaConnection.com, October 29, 2018

Scientists Use Metamaterial to Make Chip-Size Synchrotron:

Tiny Device Bends Light To Create Radiation:

August 2018

Media response to our paper Ultrathin and multicolour optical cavities with embedded metasurfaces:

Low bandwidth? Use more colors at once, August 16, 2018

July 2018

2018 Blavatnik Science Symposium, The New York Academy of Science (July 16-17, 2018) LIVE interview

April 21, 2018

Media response to our paper Low-loss plasmon-assisted electro-optic modulator:

Switch controls light on a nanoscale for faster information processing -

Breaking bottlenecks to the electronic-photonic information technology revolution -

August 21, 2017

Purdue researchers explore new chapter of physics, Purdue News

August 2017

Faces of Photonics - social media campagn by SPIE

July 2017

Beyond Graphene: New Nanomaterials For Solar Energy, Computers, Curing Cancer And A Lot More, International Business News, National Graphene Association, Graphene Entrepreneur.

February 2017

Fractals Help Graphene Detect Photons, APS News

January 20, 2017

Fractal design of graphene photodetector holds promise for photoharvesting, Smart 2.0

Snowflake-shaped electrodes boost graphene's photoabsorption, EETimes Europe

Graphene Photodetector Enhanced With Fractal Golden "Snowflake", EngineersGarage.com

January 16, 2017

Graphene photodetector enhanced by fractal golden 'snowflake', Phys.org

November 2015

Media response to our paper Long-range and rapid transport of individual nano-objects by a hybrid electrothermoplasmonic nanotweezer:

Nanotweezer is new tool to create advanced plasmonic technologies

August 2015

A colourful future?, Nature Photonics, News & Views:

July-August 2015

Media response to our paper Epsilon-near-zero Al-doped ZnO for ultrafast switching at telecom wavelengths

Boffins have made optical transistors that can reach 4 TERAHERTZ, TheRegister.co.uk, August 7, 2015

'Plasmonic' material could bring ultrafast all-optical communications

March 2015

Media response to our paper All that glitters need not be gold:

Plasmonic ceramic materials key to advances in nanophotonics for extreme operational conditions

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January 20, 2015

Nanodiamonds are quantum’s best friend, SemiEngineering.com

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January 14, 2015

Diamond Defects Enhance Single-Photon Emission, photonics.com

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January 13, 2015

'Single-photon emission enhancement' seen as step toward quantum technologies (Purdue News) A hyperbolic metamaterial comprised of alternating layers of titanium nitride and aluminum scandium nitride has been used by the research groups of Purdue Profs. V. Shalaev and A. Boltasseva to enhance the rate of single-photon emission by nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond. The application areas of single-photon sources include quantum communications and quantum computing. Picked up by Phys.org; AsiaEu.com

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November 21, 2014

NMTI announces breakthrough solutions for HAMR nanoantenna for next-generation ultra-high density magnetic data storage. "Researchers at Nano-Meta Technologies Inc. (NMTI) in the Purdue Research Park have shown how to overcome key limitations of a material that could enable the magnetic storage industry to achieve data-recording densities far beyond today's computers. (Purdue News)."

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October 2, 2014

Startup is using plasmonics to advance optical technologies, improve data-storage capabilities, solar thermophotovoltaic cell performance, Purdue Research Park News. The story was picked up by ScientificComputing.com in an article Plasmonics Advances Optics, Improves Data-storage, Solar Cell Performance.

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August 21, 2014

Alexandra Boltasseva is featured in Wiles Magazine's annual Hot List compiled with female engineers in a variety of fields.

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May 2014

Media response to our paper Epitaxial superlattices with titanium nitride as a plasmonic component for optical hyperbolic metamaterials:

Advance brings 'hyperbolic metamaterials' closer to reality

New 'metamaterial' practical for optical advances, Science Daily, May 12, 2014

Hyperbolic Metamaterials Advance Practical Applications, PHOTONICS.com, May 14, 2014

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May 6, 2014

SPIE Newsroom: Plasmonic materials that are compatible with standard processing techniques can be used for optical waveguides and modulators without sacrificing performance and functionality.

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April 18, 2014

Media response to our paper "Refractory Plasmonics" (Science, 344, 263-4 (2014)):

High-temperature plasmonics eyed for solar, computer innovation

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February 28, 2014

Politiken - one of Denmark's leading newspapers - published an article Women and humanists rarely get Elite Researcher Awards featuring Alexandra's picture from her award's year. Since 2007, 40 prizes have been awarded but only 4 women got the prize.

December 6, 2013

Alexandra Boltasseva: A Rising Star, The Institute - the member newspaper of the IEEE.

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August 5, 2013

Alternative materials could bring 'plasmonic' technologies, Purdue News.

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April 2, 2013

2013 MRS Outstanding Young Investigator Award Winner Alexandra Boltasseva, PhD., was interviewed by MRS TV: watch the interview.

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Summer 2012

Purdue Impact Online: New 'metamaterial' practical for optical advances.

17 May 2012

AzoNano.com: Researchers Develop New Metamaterial Using Aluminum-Doped Zinc Oxide.

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15 May 2012

Phys.org: New 'metamaterial' practical for optical advances.

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14 May 2012

LaserFocusWorld.com: Gold- and silver-free me1tamaterial shows negative refraction in the near-IR.

InsideIndianaBusiness.com: Purdue Marks Scientific Advances

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Media response to our paper Titanium nitride as a plasmonic material for visible and near-infrared wavelengths

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1 November 2011

BioOpticsWorld.com: Magnifying biology with metamaterials.

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March 2011

Nature Photonics: In search of new materials.

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27 February 2011

2physics.com: New Materials Could Turn Near-Fantastic Devices like Invisibility Cloaks and Hyperlenses into Reality.

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21 January 2011

Purdue University News Service: New materials may bring advanced optical technologies, cloaking; reproduced (with modifications) in

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November 2010

SPIE Newsroom: Identifying low-loss plasmonic materials

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July 2009

News and Highlights: Laser and Photonics Reviews - "The SAOT Young Researcher Award in Advanced Optical Technologies has been granted to Alexandra Boltasseva ... "

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April 2008

Article in Politiken (in Danish) about Alexandra Boltasseva in connection with the Elite-Researcher's Award. By Mette Iversen and Jacob S. Pedersen.

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19 February 2008

Article in Børsen (in Danish) about Alexandra Boltasseva in connection with the Elite-Researcher's Award. Article by Niels Barfod.

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1 February 2008 Article in Ingeniøren (in Danish)

Article in the Danish newspaper "Ingeniøren" about Alexandra Boltasseva's career choice in connection with the Elite-Researcher's Award. Article by Lene Wessel, photos by Lars Bech (DAS BURO).

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24 January 2008 Ung Eliteforskerpris (in Danish)

Young Elite-Researcher's Award DIPLOMA

Alexandra Boltasseva receives the Danish Independent Research Councils' Young Elite-Researcher's Award (Ung Eliteforskerpris) for the recently granted Research Project "On-Chip Nano-Imaging Using Superlens (NanoMIUS)" (2007-2010).

The "Elite-Researcher" initiative's goal is to add visibility and to reward some of the best young researchers. Every year, the Danish Independent Research Councils' awards go to about 20 young researchers from all fields (ranging from social sciences and humanities to natural sciences and engineering). Alexandra Boltasseva got the Danish Independent Research Councils' Young Researchers Award (Ung Eliteforskerpris).

Award ceremony Photo by Tariq Mikkel Khan/POLFOTO

Photos from the award ceremony:
(All photos by Tariq Mikkel Khan/POLFOTO)
Group photo with H.K.H. Kronprinssesse Mary

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7 December 2007 Article in Ingeniøren (in Danish)

Article in the Danish newspaper "Ingeniøren" about the superlens project.

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Pressemeddelelse 21. November 2007 Forsknings- og Innovationsstyrelsen (in Danish)

Fri forskning giver plads til de gode ideer.

En effektiv og billig vaccine mod hvepseallergi og en superlinse, der kan "se" processerne i levende celler. Dét er perspektiverne i to af de projekter, som Forskningsrådet for Teknologi og Produktion har støttet i 2007.

Eksemplerne viser, at Forskningsrådet for Teknologi og Produktions bevillinger gør en forskel: Forskerne får øje på en udfordring og en problemstilling og med deres ekspertise kommer de med nye og anderledes bud på en løsning.

Der er dog altid en risiko for, at projekterne ikke fører til de ønskede resultater. "Sådan er forskningens vilkår. Omvendt - når det lykkes - står vi måske med et forskningsmæssigt gennembrud," siger professor, dr.ir. Marcel A. J. Somers, formand for Forskningsrådet for Teknologi og Produktion (FTP).

Havde de to projekter ikke fået støtte fra FTP, var de nok ikke kommet i gang, forklarer FTP's formand. Den type forskning har svæyrt ved at finde finansiering. Som de øvrige fire råd under Det Frie Forskningsråd stiller FTP nemlig ikke krav om, at forskningen skal ligge inden for strategisk fastlagte forskningsomrder. Forskningen støttes alene, fordi den er nyskabende og i international topklasse.

En af to eksempler på forskningsprojekter, der har fået støtte fra FTP:

Superlinse kan hjælpe til bivirkningsfri medicin
Hidtil har man ikke kunnet fotografere celleprocesser uden at gribe ind i dem. Men med en superlinse, der kan afbilde celleprocesserne uden indgriben, vil man f.eks. kunne afdække, hvordan processerne i syge celler adskiller sig fra raske eller se, hvordan medicin påvirker cellen. Dermed kan man udvikle medicin, som er målrettet de syge celler og derfor uden bivirkninger.

Superlinse, der kan "se" processerne i levende celler
I de seneste år er det lykkedes forskere at udvikle særlige optiske teknikker, så man kan afbilde proteiner, enzymer og andre nano-små molekyler - i størrelsesordenen 5-10 milliontedele millimeter.

I dag kan det imidlertid kun lade sig gøre ved at anbringe linsen - en optisk fiber - så tæt på objektet, at den næsten rører ved det. Det betyder for eksempel, at man er nødt til at trænge ind i en celle, hvis man vil fotografere, hvad der foregår inde i den. Man forstyrrer dermed cellen og kan med andre ord ikke optage en realistisk "film" af processerne inde i en levende celle.

Men ny viden tyder på, at det er muligt at udvikle en superlinse, som kan afbilde detaljer i en celles indre, selvom linsen placeres uden for cellen og ikke rører ved denne - og altså ikke forstyrrer celleprocesserne.

FTP har derfor givet en bevilling på 4,2 mio. kr. til adjunkt, ph.d. Alexandra Boltasseva, som vil udforske mulighederne for at udvikle en sådan superlinse.

Hvis det lykkes, vil man for første gang nogensinde kunne se, hvad der reelt foregår på nanoskopisk niveau i en levende celle. Dét kan for eksempel bruges til at afdække, hvordan processerne i syge celler adskiller sig fra de raske. Eller til at identificere præcist, hvad der sker, når medicin påvirker cellen. Det giver et enestående grundlag for at udvikle medicin, der er præcist målrettet mod de syge processer - altså effektiv medicin uden bivirkninger.

Yderligere oplysninger om projektet On-Chip Nano-Imaging Using Superlens NanoMIUS: adjunkt, ph.d. Alexandra Boltasseva, DTU Fotonik, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, telefon: 45 25 63 68, e-mail: aeb@com.dtu.dk

Yderligere oplysninger om projektet On-Chip Nano-Imaging Using Superlens NanoMIUS: adjunkt, ph.d. Alexandra Boltasseva, DTU Fotonik, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, telefon: 45 25 63 68, e-mail: aeb@com.dtu.dk

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"8 Forskerhistorier 2006" (in Danish)

Year-report from the Danish Research Council for Technology and Production Sciences (FTP) highlighting 8 granted research projects every year.