London Plasmonics Forum 2026 showcases emerging talent and advances in plasmonics

The 12th London Plasmonics Forum took place on 4 June 2026 at King’s College London, bringing together researchers from across the UK and international institutions to share the latest advances in plasmonics, nanophotonics and metamaterials.

The day opened with a keynote address from Professor Federico Capasso (Harvard University), who presented a wide-ranging overview of multifunctional flat optics and their translation from fundamental research into real-world technologies, including applications in smartphone systems. Capasso is leading figure in modern photonics and a pioneer of metasurface-based flat optics. He is widely recognised for inventing the quantum cascade laser and for his contributions to nanophotonics and wavefront engineering, bridging fundamental science and real-world optical technologies.

The morning session continued with talks from Zeki Hayran (Imperial College London), who explored emerging directions in space-time metamaterials, and Kyan Louisia (King’s College London), who discussed how synthetic motion can be emulated in optical systems. Amit Agrawal (University of Cambridge) followed with a presentation on metasurfaces for controlling quantum systems, demonstrating the expanding role of plasmonic platforms in quantum technologies. 

In the afternoon, the programme shifted towards applied and interdisciplinary aspects of plasmonics. Jordan Edwards (Imperial College London) examined chemical interface damping in surface plasmons, while Zachary Warren (University of Bath) presented work on plasmon-enhanced catalysis, showing how light can be used to accelerate chemical reactions at the nanoscale. Yuhui Gan (University of St Andrews) introduced conformable metasurfaces for near-eye augmented reality applications, and Armin Hosseinghorbani (University of Exeter) discussed the use of metalenses as compact solar concentrators. 

Further contributions included Jay Patel (King’s College London), who explored plasmonics for next-generation solar cells, and Ventsislav Valev (University of Bath), who presented work on nonlinear chiroptical scattering, reflecting ongoing advances in the control of light–matter interactions at the nanoscale. 

A highlight of the Forum was the poster session, which showcased a broad range of research led by early career researchers. Topics spanned plasmonic photocatalysis, metamaterials, nanoscale spectroscopy and energy applications, reinforcing the Forum’s role in supporting emerging talent within the community.

The poster session judges Dr Anita Chandran (Nature Communications), Dr Hannah Hatcher (Springer Nature), Dr Nina Meinzer (Nature Reviews Physics), Dr Anastasiia Vasylchenkova (Nature Photonics) and awarded prizes to to Anthony Harwood (Imperial College London), Martin Nicolussi (King’s College London) and Qiyu Zhang (Imperial College London) for their work on Programmable Space-Time Optical Diffraction, Synaptic Functions in Plasmonic Cavities and Engineering Plasmonic Nanostructures for Metal Enhanced Fluorescence. An honourable mention was awarded to Ruidong Ji (University of Bath) for Polarization-resolved chiroptical third harmonic scattering.

The Forum concluded with a general discussion session, providing an opportunity for speakers and attendees to reflect on the day’s themes and identify future directions for collaboration.

As with previous years, the London Plasmonics Forum continues to provide a valuable platform for sharing ideas, fostering collaboration and supporting the next generation of researchers working across the rapidly evolving field of plasmonics.