Nathaniel Stern

Professor Nathaniel Stern is a faculty member in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Northwestern University, specializing in quantum interactions of photons with nano-scale systems. He holds a PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara (2008) and leads the Stern Research Group, focusing on hybrid photonic systems, quantum materials, and light-matter interactions. His research explores novel optical and spin properties in monolayer semiconductors, chiral photonics, and magneto-optical effects.

Education: PhD in Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara (2008).

Research Interests: Quantum photonics, nano-scale optoelectronics, valley-polarized exciton-polaritons, and applications in quantum information science. His work bridges experimental approaches like time-resolved spectroscopy and single-photon detection with theoretical models for understanding quantum phenomena in 2D materials.

Awards: Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship (2013), DOE Early Career Award (2014), ONR Young Investigator Award (2016).

Advising & Students: Advised PhD students Carin Gavin (2023 Rapid Fire winner) and Hongfei (defended 2023). Current group members focus on quantum emission in van der Waals heterostructures and chiral photonics.

Labs/Teams: Stern Research Group explores quantum systems in integrated photonic platforms, collaborating with the Chicago Quantum Exchange as part of the region’s US Tech Hub designation for quantum technologies.