The Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology’s Center for Photonics and 2D Materials was among the winners of eight megagrants authorized by the government of the Russian Federation. The funding will go toward research on advanced nanophotonics in the areas of quantum materials and artificial intelligence. With the funding, MIPT will establish a new laboratory at the center.

“Under that project, the lab will pursue several lines of research into the physics of quantum low-dimensional systems,” said Valentyn Volkov, director of the center. “There are a large number of two-dimensional materials, and their optical properties are poorly studied. That said, many of them look promising for nanophotonics applications: in resonators, waveguides, and other devices. When we shift from 3D space into two dimensions, the quantum nature of matter manifests itself, creating new options for controlling the interaction between light and matter.”

The researchers also plan to develop and apply machine learning techniques for creating and studying novel optical materials and optimizing nanophotonic devices based on them, Volkov said.