Harry A. Atwater

Harry A. Atwater is the Otis Booth Leadership Chair at the California Institute of Technology's College of Engineering and Applied Science, where he serves as the Howard Hughes Professor of Applied Physics and Materials Science. He directs the Liquid Sunlight Alliance and has held leadership roles including Director of the Resnick Sustainability Institute (2009-15) and the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP, 2014-21).

• B.S., M.S., Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1982-1987)
• Faculty at Caltech since 1988 (Assistant to Professor by 1999)

Research Interests: Atwater's work bridges nanophotonics, energy conversion, and quantum materials, focusing on light-matter interactions at the nanoscale. Key areas include:

• Quantum Nanophotonics: Quantum emitters, plasmonics, and photonic control of energy transfer
• Metamaterials: Metasurfaces for optical steering and frequency control
• Energy Applications: Artificial photosynthesis, space solar power, and photovoltaics
• 2D Materials: Graphene, hexagonal boron nitride, and layered heterostructures
• Carbon Capture: Photonics-enabled chemical processes

Recent Publications highlight advancements in thermal radiation, dielectric metasurfaces, quantum emitter analysis, and space-based solar power, reflecting his interdisciplinary focus on sustainable energy and nanoscale optics.

Honors:

• Otis Booth Leadership Chair (2021-)
• Howard Hughes Professor of Applied Physics and Materials Science (2002-)

Labs & Teams: Leads the Atwater Research Group at Caltech, directing initiatives like the Liquid Sunlight Alliance and contributing to the Space Solar Power Project.