METANANO 2019

METANANO-2019, the fourth conference on nanophotonics and metamaterials, will take place on July 15-19, 2019 in St. Petersburg. Scientists from MIT, ParisTech, and other major scientific centers of the world will discuss the latest advances in science. Each year, the METANANO conference grows in popularity thanks to its expansive range of subjects and a discussion program that’s updated every year in accordance with the latest trends. METANANO-2019 will include symposiums, special sessions, and lectures by renowned scientists.

METANANO: history, geography, participants

The METANANO conference is organized every year by the staff of ITMO University’s Faculty of Physics and Engineering. The first conference took place in 2016 in Anapa and brought together some 90 scientists. Back then, 90% of the event’s participants represented various Russian universities and research centers. During the second conference, set in Vladivostok, the number of international guests made up 40% of the total audience of 250 participants. The third conference took place in Sochi and brought together more than 300 researchers in the field of nanophotonics and metamaterials from the top laboratories and research centers of the UK, Germany, Sweden, France, the USA, Australia, China, Russia, and other countries. The fourth Metanano is expected to welcome over 350 guests with a 50-50 ratio of Russian to international participants.

“The idea is that the conference travels from city to city, like many major global conferences do, and never comes to the same place twice. This year, we decided to host the conference in St. Petersburg, as we’re celebrating the anniversary of ITMO University’s Center of Nanophotonics and Metamaterials. Ten years ago, a small group of enthusiasts had founded the laboratory that has grown into a new Faculty and a major research center. We would like to celebrate this occasion with our colleagues from around the world,” comments Pavel Belov, the general chair of METANANO-2019.

METANANO-2019: top scientists, symposiums, and new sessions

The conference’s program traditionally includes plenary sessions during which world-class scientists deliver reports on their research in the field of nanophotonics and metamaterials. This year, some of these reports will be intended not only for experts in specialized fields but for all guests of the conference. For instance, during the broad theme plenary session Kamil Ugurbil, a professor at the University of Minnesota (USA), will speak about the study of the human connectome (neural brain map) using advanced methods of neurovisualization.

This year the conference will welcome even more trendsetting scientists: professor Martin Wegener of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology will deliver a report on chirality in optical and mechanical metamaterials; professor Masaya Notomi of NTT Nanophotonics Center and the Tokyo Institute of Technology will share insights into the value of applied science, and namely the novel functionalities arising from integrated nanophotonics; professor Marin Soljačić of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will speak about deep learning in photonics; and Philippe Lalanne of the Institut D'optique, ParisTech will report on the interaction of light with nanoresonators. Among the event’s key speakers is also Oliver Graydon, the chief editor of the Nature Photonics journal, who will offer an inside look at the process of publishing scientific articles. Overall, nine world-famous scientists and specialists will be speakers at the plenary sessions; six will take part in the general plenary session and three in the broad theme plenary session, dedicated to topics in the area of popular science.

In addition to the plenary speakers, the conference will welcome some twenty keynote speakers. A full list of the speakers at METANANO-2019 can be found on the official website.

Full text is available via ITMO.NEWS