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Hire Dr. Michela Florinda P.

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Severo Ochoa Postdoctoral Fellow in Thermal Photonics at ICFO - The Institute of photonics

Profile Summary

I got my PhD in physics at King's College London and currently I am a Research Fellow at ICFO - The Institute of photonics. I authored numerous publications in top-tier journals, news pieces and reviews. I was awarded several grants and prizes for my research. I am very enthusiastic about movies, TV series and novels and would love to collaborate on that!

Subject Matter Expertise

• ☆ Materials Science & Engineering
• ☆ Nanotechnology & Nanomaterials
• ☆ Nanotechnology
• ☆ Electronic, Optical & Magnetic Materials
• ☆ Thermodynamics
• ☆ Applied Physics
• ☆ Renewable Energy
• ☆ Solar Energy
• ☆ Optics
• ☆ Lasers & Photonics
• ☆ Optical Engineering

Services

• Writing
• Research

Writing Non-Medical Regulatory Writing, Technical Writing, Copywriting, Creative Writing, Newswriting, General Proofreading & Editing, Translation

Research Fact Checking, Scientific and Technical Research, Systematic Literature Review

Work Experience

Postdoc

Institut de Ciències Fotòniques

March 2022 - Present

King's College London

- February 2022

Intern

Microsoft Research Ltd

October 2019 - January 2020

Education

PhD in physics (Physics)

King's College London

April 2016 - July 2020

Master degree (Physics)

Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II

September 2012 - December 2014

Certifications

• Certification details not provided.

Publications

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Integrated Janus dipole source for selective coupling to silicon waveguide networks @article{54a61f41392047ec9ee4c7840046c4e9, title = "Integrated Janus dipole source for selective coupling to silicon waveguide networks", abstract = "The efficient selective and directional coupling of light to waveguiding circuitry at the nanoscale is one of the key challenges innanophotonics, as it constitutes a prerequisite for many applications, including information processing, routing, and quantumtechnologies. Various exotic nanostructures and nanoparticle arrangements have been designed to achieve directional coupling withcompact on-chip integration remaining one of the foremost hurdles to realizing many real-world devices. At the same time, selective coupling to one of several neighboring waveguides is much more difficult to achieve and control. To address this challenge, we demonstrate asubwavelength selective coupler integrated in a waveguide network, with selectivity controlled by wavelength, polarization, and angle ofincidence. We utilize a Janus source, which is composed of a superposition of electric and magnetic dipoles, supported by a silicon nanocylinder. By placing the nanocylinder between identical single mode silicon waveguides, we successfully achieve selective coupling with a highcontrast ratio between the waveguides. The operating wavelength of the Janus dipolar source can be easily tailored, and the coupling efficiency is also shown to be conveniently boosted by the addition of multiple nanocylinders. Our compact approach provides a direct pathtoward on-chip highly directional nanoscale sources for a plethora of applications, including information routing, metrology, and quantumtechnologies.", author = "Picardi, {Michela F.} and Mcpolin, {Cillian P. T.} and Kingsley-Smith, {Jack J.} and Xudong Zhang and Shumin Xiao and Rodr{\'i}guez-fortu{\~n}o, {Francisco J.} and Zayats, {Anatoly V.}", note = "Funding Information: This work was supported in part by the EPSRC (UK), ERC iCOMM Project (No. 789340), and ERC Starting Grant No. ERC-2016-STG-714151-PSINFONI. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Author(s).", year = "2022", month = jun, day = "1", doi = "10.1063/5.0085487", language = "English", volume = "9", pages = "021410", journal = "Applied Physics Reviews", issn = "1931-9401", publisher = "AIP Publishing LLC", number = "2", } . Applied Physics Reviews.

Optical magnetic dipole levitation using a plasmonic surface @article{8c40843f70824dd0a8d512628efa398d, title = "Optical magnetic dipole levitation using a plasmonic surface", abstract = "Optically induced magnetic resonances in nonmagnetic media have unlocked magnetic light-matter interactions and led to new technologies in many research fields. Previous proposals for the levitation of nanoscale particles without structured illumination have worked on the basis of epsilon-near-zero surfaces or anisotropic materials, but these materials carry with them significant fabrication difficulties. We report the optical levitation of a magnetic dipole over a wide range of realistic materials, including bulk metals, thereby relieving these difficulties. The repulsion is independent of surface losses, and we propose an experiment to detect this force which consists of a core-shell nanoparticle, exhibiting a magnetic resonance, in close proximity to a gold substrate under plane wave illumination. We anticipate the use of this phenomenon in new nanomechanical devices.", keywords = "magnetic dipole, metamaterials, nanoparticles, optical magnetism, optical manipulation", author = "Jack Kingsley-Smith and Michela Picardi and {Rodriguez Fortuno}, Francisco", year = "2020", month = oct, day = "14", doi = "10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c02313", language = "English", volume = "20", pages = "7094--7099", journal = "Nano Letters", issn = "1530-6984", publisher = "American Chemical Society", number = "10", } . Nano Letters.

Kingsley-Smith, J.J., Picardi, M.F., Rodríguez-Fortuño, F.J.(2020). Optical Magnetic Dipole Levitation Using a Plasmonic Surface . Nano Letters. 20. (10). p. 7094-7099.

Amplitude and phase control of guided modes excitation from a single dipole source: engineering far- and near-field directionality @article{4bd41416e534449d8fd72896751da2dc, title = "Amplitude and phase control of guided modes excitation from a single dipole source: engineering far- and near-field directionality", abstract = "The design of far-field radiation diagrams from combined electric and magnetic dipolar sources has recently found applications in nanophotonic metasurfaces that realize tailored reflection and refraction. Such dipolar sources also exhibit important near-field evanescent coupling properties with applications in polarimetry and quantum optics. Here, a rigorous theoretical framework is introduced for engineering the angular spectra encompassing both far- and near-fields of electric and magnetic sources and a unified description of both free space and guided mode directional radiation is developed. The approach uses the full parametric space of six complex-valued components of magnetic and electric dipoles in order to engineer constructive or destructive near-field interference. Such dipolar sources can be realized with dielectric or plasmonic nanoparticles. It is shown how a single dipolar source can be designed to achieve the selective coupling to multiple waveguide modes and far-field simultaneously with a desired amplitude, phase, and direction.", keywords = "guided modes, light's directionality, nanophotonics", author = "Michela Picardi and Anatoly Zayats and Rodr{\'i}guez‐Fortu{\~n}o, {Francisco J.}", year = "2019", month = dec, day = "1", doi = "10.1002/lpor.201900250", language = "English", volume = "13", journal = "Laser and Photonics Reviews", issn = "1863-8899", publisher = "Wiley-VCH Verlag", number = "12", } . Laser and Photonics Reviews.

Optical forces from near-field directionalities in planar structures @article{c587ee92b63242a183d9ec163983b7f6, title = "Optical forces from near-field directionalities in planar structures", abstract = "Matter manipulation with optical forces has become commonplace in a wide range of research fields and is epitomized by the optical trap. Calculations of optical forces on small illuminated particles typically neglect multiple scattering on nearby structures. However, this scattering can result in large recoil forces, particularly when the scattering includes directional near-field excitations. Near-field recoil forces have been studied in the case of electric, magnetic and circularly polarized dipoles, but they exist for any type of directional near-field excitation. We use the force angular spectrum as a concise and intuitive analytical expression for the force on any dipole near planar surfaces, which allows us to clearly distinguish the effect due to the dipole, and due to the surface. We relate this directly to the coupling efficiency of surface or guided modes via Fermi's golden rule. To exemplify this, a near-field force transverse to the illumination is computationally calculated for a Huygens dipole near a metallic waveguide. We believe this formalism will prove insightful for various nanomanipulation systems within areas such as nanofluidics, sensing, biotechnology and nano-assembly of nanostructures.", keywords = "NEAR-FIELD, Optical force, Plasmonics, waveguide", author = "Kingsley-Smith, {Jack Jamie} and Michela Picardi and Lei Wei and Anatoly Zayats and {Rodriguez Fortuno}, {Francisco Jose}", year = "2019", month = jun, day = "10", doi = "10.1103/PhysRevB.99.235410", language = "English", volume = "99", pages = "235410", journal = "Physical Review B (Condensed Matter and Materials Physics)", issn = "1098-0121", publisher = "American Physical Society", number = "23", } . Physical Review B.

Experimental demonstration of linear and spinning Janus dipoles for polarisation- and wavelength-selective near-field coupling @article{b0802aa572c848c698d70a2e5456372a, title = "Experimental demonstration of linear and spinning Janus dipoles for polarisation- and wavelength-selective near-field coupling", abstract = "The electromagnetic field scattered by nano-objects contains a broad range of wave vectors and can be efficiently coupled to waveguided modes. The dominant contribution to scattering from subwavelength dielectric and plasmonic nanoparticles is determined by electric and magnetic dipolar responses. Here, we experimentally demonstrate spectral and phase selective excitation of Janus dipoles, sources with electric and magnetic dipoles oscillating out of phase, in order to control near-field interference and directional coupling to waveguides. We show that by controlling the polarisation state of the dipolar excitations and the excitation wavelength to adjust their relative contributions, directionality and coupling strength can be fully tuned. Furthermore, we introduce a novel spinning Janus dipole featuring cylindrical symmetry in the near and far field, which results in either omnidirectional coupling or noncoupling. Controlling the propagation of guided light waves via fast and robust near-field interference between polarisation components of a source is required in many applications in nanophotonics and quantum optics.", author = "Michela Picardi and Martin Neugebauer and Joerg Eismann and Gerd Leuchs and Peter Banzer and {Rodriguez Fortuno}, {Francisco Jose} and Anatoly Zayats", year = "2019", month = jun, day = "5", doi = "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-019-0162-x", language = "English", volume = "8", journal = "Light: Science & Applications", issn = "2095-5545", publisher = "Nature Publishing Group", number = "1", } . Light: Science & Applications.

Picardi, M.F., Neugebauer, M., Eismann, J.S., Leuchs, G., Banzer, P., Rodríguez-Fortuño, F.J., Zayats, A.V.(2019). Experimental demonstration of linear and spinning Janus dipoles for polarisation- and wavelength-selective near-field coupling . Light: Science and Applications. 8. (1).

F. Picardi, M., V. Zayats, A., J. Rodríguez-Fortuño, F.(2019). Amplitude and Phase Control of Guided Modes Excitation from a Single Dipole Source: Engineering Far- and Near-Field Directionality . Laser and Photonics Reviews.

Kingsley-Smith, J.J., Picardi, M.F., Wei, L., Zayats, A.V., Rodríguez-Fortuño, F.J.(2019). Optical forces from near-field directionalities in planar structures . Physical Review B. 99. (23).

Not every dipole is the same: the hidden patterns of dipolar near fields @article{91ae3d2fe01d40bf8a1875e03783b5fc, title = "Not every dipole is the same: the hidden patterns of dipolar near fields", abstract = "Nanophotonics is a fast-evolving scientific field studying light at the nanoscale. Its fascinating advances typically stem from concepts in modern physics, such as quantum optics, photonic crystals and optomechanics [1]. Occasionally, new insights appear even from the classical Maxwell{\textquoteright}s equations of electromagnetism themselves [2].", author = "Michela Picardi and Anatoly Zayats and {Rodriguez Fortuno}, {Francisco Jose}", year = "2018", month = sep, day = "14", language = "English", pages = "14--18", journal = "Europhysics News", issn = "0531-7479", publisher = "EDP Sciences", } . Europhysics News.

Angular momenta, helicity, and other properties of dielectric-fiber and metallic-wire modes @article{ff91a19762374e92bdd7126a693335fb, title = "Angular momenta, helicity, and other properties of dielectric-fiber and metallic-wire modes", abstract = "Spin and orbital angular momenta (AM) of light are well studied for free-space electromagnetic fields, even nonparaxial. One of the important applications of these concepts is the information transfer using AM modes, often via optical fibers and other guiding systems. However, the self-consistent description of the spin and orbital AM of light in optical media (including dispersive and metallic cases) was provided only recently [Bliokh et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 073901 (2017)]. Here we present the first accurate calculations, both analytical and numerical, of the spin and orbital AM, as well as the helicity and other properties, for the full-vector eigenmodes of cylindrical dielectric and metallic (nanowire) waveguides. We find remarkable fundamental relations, such as the quantization of the canonical total AM of cylindrical guided modes in the general nonparaxial case. This quantization, as well as the noninteger values of the spin and orbital AM, are determined by the generalized geometric and dynamical phases in the mode fields. Moreover, we show that the spin AM of metallic-wire modes is determined, in the geometrical-optics approximation, by the transverse spin of surface plasmon polaritons propagating along helical trajectories on the wire surface. Our work provides a solid platform for future studies and applications of the AM and helicity properties of guided optical and plasmonic waves.", author = "Michela Picardi and Konstantin Bliokh and {Rodriguez Fortuno}, {F. J.} and Filippo Alpeggiani and Franco Nori", year = "2018", month = aug, day = "20", doi = "10.1364/OPTICA.5.001016", language = "English", volume = "5", pages = "1016--1026", journal = "Optica", issn = "2334-2536", publisher = "OSA - The Optical Society", number = "8", } . Optica.

Directional scattering from particles under evanescent wave illumination @article{a6c73955a1a04fe5864849ba96b4bde5, title = "Directional scattering from particles under evanescent wave illumination: the role of reactive power", abstract = "Study of photonic spin-orbital interactions, which involves control of the propagation and spatial distributions of light via its polarization, is not only important at the fundamental level but also has significant implications for functional photonic applications that require active tuning of directional light propagation. Many of the experimental demonstrations have been attributed to the spin-momentum locking characteristic of evanescent waves. In this letter, we show another property of evanescent waves: the polarization dependent direction of the imaginary part of the Poynting vector, i.e. reactive power. Based on this property, we propose a simple and robust way to tune the directional far-field scattering from nanoparticles near a surface under evanescent wave illumination by controlling its polarization and direction of the incident light.", author = "Lei Wei and Michela Picardi and Kingsley-Smith, {Jack Jamie} and Anatoly Zayats and {Rodriguez Fortuno}, {Francisco Jose}", year = "2018", month = jul, day = "12", doi = "10.1364/OL.43.003393", language = "English", volume = "43", pages = "3393--3396", journal = "Optics Letters", issn = "0146-9592", publisher = "The Optical Society", number = "14", } . Optics Letters.

Repulsion of polarized particles from two-dimensional materials @article{598fc8e1ab834ecbbcae3645958e9986, title = "Repulsion of polarized particles from two-dimensional materials", abstract = "Repulsion of nanoparticles, molecules, and atoms from surfaces can have important applications in nanomechanical devices, microfluidics, optical manipulation, and atom optics. Here, through the solution of a classical scattering problem, we show that a dipole source oscillating at a frequency ω can experience a robust and strong repulsive force when its near-field interacts with a two-dimensional material. As an example, the case of graphene is considered, showing that a broad bandwidth of repulsion can be obtained at frequencies for which propagation of plasmon modes is allowed 0< ω<(5/3)μc, where μc is the chemical potential tunable electrically or by chemical doping.", author = "Rodr{\'i}guez-Fortu{\~n}o, {Francisco J.} and Picardi, {Michela F.} and Zayats, {Anatoly V.}", year = "2018", month = may, day = "1", doi = "10.1103/PhysRevB.97.205401", language = "English", volume = "97", journal = "Physical Review B (Condensed Matter and Materials Physics)", issn = "1098-0121", publisher = "American Physical Society", number = "20", } . Physical Review B.

Janus and Huygens' dipoles @article{29184188398947b180914270c3b9ccdd, title = "Janus and Huygens' dipoles: near-field directionality beyond spin-momentum locking", abstract = "Unidirectional scattering from circularly polarised dipoles has been demonstrated in near-field optics, where the quantum spin-Hall effect of light translates into spin-momentum locking. By considering the whole electromagnetic field, instead of its spin component alone, near-field directionality can be achieved beyond spin-momentum locking. This unveils the existence of the Janus dipole, with side-dependent topologically protected coupling to waveguides, and reveals the near-field directionality of Huygens' dipoles, generalising Kerker's condition. Circular dipoles, together with Huygens' and Janus sources, form the complete set of all possible directional dipolar sources in far- and near-field. This allows designing of directional emission, scattering and waveguiding, fundamental for quantum optical technology, integrated nanophotonics and new metasurface designs.", author = "Michela Picardi and Anatoly Zayats and {Rodriguez Fortuno}, {Francisco Jose}", year = "2018", month = mar, day = "16", doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.117402", language = "English", volume = "120", pages = "117402--1--117402--6", journal = "Physical Review Letters", issn = "0031-9007", publisher = "American Physical Society (APS)", number = "11", } . Physical Review Letters.

Wei, L., Picardi, M.F., Kingsley-Smith, J.J., Zayats, A.V., Rodr&#237;guez-Fortu&#241;o, F.J.(2018). Directional scattering from particles under evanescent wave illumination: the role of reactive power . Optics Letters. 43. (14). p. 3393-3396.

Picardi, M.F., Zayats, A.V., Rodr&#237;guez-Fortu&#241;o, F.J.(2018). Janus and Huygens Dipoles: Near-Field Directionality beyond Spin-Momentum Locking . Physical Review Letters. 120. (11).

Picardi, M.F., Zayats, A.V., Rodr&#237;guez-Fortu&#241;o, F.J.(2018). Not every dipole is the same: The hidden patterns of dipolar near fields . Europhysics News. 49. (4). p. 14-18.

Rodr&#237;guez-Fortu&#241;o, F.J., Picardi, M.F., Zayats, A.V.(2018). Repulsion of polarized particles from two-dimensional materials . Physical Review B. 97. (20).

Picardi, M.F., Bliokh, K.Y., Rodr&#237;guez-Fortu&#241;o, J.F., Alpeggiani, F., Nori, F.(2018). Angular momenta, helicity, and other properties of dielectric-fiber and metallic-wire modes . Optica. 5. (8). p. 1016-1026.

Unidirectional evanescent-wave coupling from circularly polarized electric and magnetic dipoles: @article{42c4dc2b1a2d49a1b89ab8ae4dca58cb, title = "Unidirectional evanescent-wave coupling from circularly polarized electric and magnetic dipoles:: An angular spectrum approach", abstract = "Unidirectional evanescent-wave coupling from circularly polarized dipole sources is one of the most striking evidences of spin-orbit interactions of light and an inherent property of circularly polarized dipoles. Polarization handedness self-determines propagation direction of guided modes. In this paper, we compare two different approaches currently used to describe this phenomenon, the first requires the evaluation of the coupling amplitude between dipole and waveguide's modes, while the second is based on the calculation of the angular spectrum of the dipole. We present a novel analytical expression of the angular spectrum of dipole radiation, unifying the description for both electric and magnetic dipoles. The symmetries unraveled by the implemented formalism show the existence of specific terms in the dipole spectrum which can be recognized as directly responsible for directional evanescent-wave coupling. This provides a versatile tool for both a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon and a fully controllable engineering of directionality of guided modes.", keywords = "spin-orbit coupling, electric dipole, magnetic dipole, angular spectrum, Light, polarization", author = "Michela Picardi and Alejandro Manjavacas and Anatoly Zayats and {Rodriguez Fortuno}, {Francisco Jose}", year = "2017", month = jun, day = "16", doi = "10.1103/PhysRevB.95.245416", language = "English", volume = "95", journal = "Physical Review B (Condensed Matter and Materials Physics)", issn = "1098-0121", publisher = "American Physical Society", number = "24", } . Physical Review B.

Flat polarization-controlled cylindrical lens based on the Pancharatnam-Berry geometric phase @article{dad6e190182144db80c570aa01f20f80, title = "Flat polarization-controlled cylindrical lens based on the Pancharatnam-Berry geometric phase", abstract = "The working principle of ordinary refractive lenses can be explained in terms of the space-variant optical phase retardations they introduce, which reshape the optical wavefront curvature and hence affect the subsequent light propagation. These phases, in turn, are due to the varying optical path length followed by light at different transverse positions relative to the lens center. A similar lensing behavior can, however, be obtained when the optical phases are introduced by an entirely different mechanism. Here, we consider the 'geometric phases' that arise from the polarization transformations occurring in anisotropic optical media, named after Pancharatnam and Berry. The medium anisotropy axis is taken to be space-variant in the transverse plane and the resulting varying geometric phases give rise to the wavefront reshaping and lensing effect, which however also depends on the input polarization. We describe the realization and characterization of a cylindrical geometric-phase lens that is converging for a given input circular-polarization state and diverging for the orthogonal one, which provides one of the simplest possible examples of optical elements based on geometric phases. The demonstrated lens is flat and only a few microns thick (not including the supporting substrates); moreover, its working wavelength can be tuned and the lensing can be switched on and off by the action of an external control electric field. Other kinds of lenses or more general phase elements inducing different wavefront distortions can be obtained by a similar approach. Besides their potential for optoelectronic technology, these devices offer good opportunities for introducing college-level students to an advanced topic of modern physics, such as the Berry phase, with the help of interesting optical demonstrations.", keywords = "birefringence, liquid crystals, Pancharatnam-Berry phase, polarization", author = "Bruno Piccirillo and Picardi, {Michela Florinda} and Lorenzo Marrucci and Enrico Santamato", year = "2017", month = feb, day = "28", doi = "10.1088/1361-6404/aa5e11", language = "English", volume = "38", journal = "EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS", issn = "0143-0807", publisher = "IOP Publishing Ltd.", number = "3", } . EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS.

Picardi, M.F., Manjavacas, A., Zayats, A.V., Rodr&#237;guez-Fortu&#241;o, F.J.(2017). Unidirectional evanescent-wave coupling from circularly polarized electric and magnetic dipoles: An angular spectrum approach . Physical Review B. 95. (24).

Piccirillo, B., Picardi, M.F., Marrucci, L., Santamato, E.(2017). Flat polarization-controlled cylindrical lens based on the Pancharatnam-Berry geometric phase . European Journal of Physics. 38. (3).

SOFTWARE

Picardi, Michela Florinda and Zayats, Anatoly and Rodriguez-Fortuno, Francisco(2019). Angular spectrum engineering of dipolar sources . Zenodo. Zenodo