The need for exquisite control of light is ubiquitous in energy-relevant applications, optoelectronics, and information science. In this talk, I will discuss how hybrid materials consisting of distinct sub-lattices and periodically nanostructured materials allow for dramatically enhanced light absorption, emission, and charge carrier generation at various time- and length-scales. I will first focus on hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites. These solution-processed, scalable materials exhibit remarkable optoelectronic properties such as strong light absorption, defect tolerance, and long carrier lifetimes. I will describe how electronic excitations in these materials are coupled to and influenced by the vibrational degrees of freedom of the organic and inorganic sublattices, investigated using an array of optical spectroscopic techniques. The unique soft nature of the lead-halide octahedral framework gives rise to dynamic fluctuations in the electronic bandgap, which distinguishes hybrid perovskites from traditional inorganic semiconductors. Furthermore, strong quantum confinement can be easily imparted to hybrid perovskites with the use of organic spacer-cations, leading to hyperbolic dispersion relation and enhanced light-emitting properties. Beyond solution-processed semiconductors, I will demonstrate how widely-used materials, such as indium-tin-oxide (ITO), can be grown in ordered, nanoscale array form by chemical vapor phase epitaxy to exhibit well-defined localized surface plasmon resonances in the infrared spectral range. The unique band structure and carrier concentration of ITO result in an unusual type of optical nonlinearity that is significantly larger and faster than the noble metal counterparts. I will conclude by discussing how such material platforms open new avenues for infrared molecular sensing, ultrafast optical switching and active photonic devices.

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