| 15 | New Faculty Breakthrough in Quantum Nanophotonics: A Research Redefines Light Confinement Dr. Hanan Herzig Sheinfux We spoke recently with Dr. Hanan Herzig Sheinfux, a recent addition to Bar Ilan’s Physics Department and BINA. During his postdoctoral research at the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) in Spain, Dr. Herzig made significant advances in quantum nanophotonics, uncovering new ways to confine light. His team developed nanocavities—tiny spaces that trap light—smaller than 100 x 100 nanometers and only 3 nanometers thick, surpassing existing capabilities in light confinement. This breakthrough is expected to open new doors for experiments in quantum physics and potential technological applications. Dr. Herzig made significant advances in quantum nanophotonics, uncovering new ways to confine light. The discovery happened serendipitously during routine testing. As Dr. Herzig Sheinfux explains, “The reflections from the material were stronger than we expected. That’s when we realized we might be able to confine light in ways we hadn’t thought of before.” The process involved drilling minuscule holes into a gold surface and layering them with hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), a material known for its unique light-like wave properties. These cavities are precise beyond belief—where even a mistake of 10 to 20 misplaced atoms could ruin the entire experiment. The significance of this discovery became clearer when unexpected performance enhancements in light confinement were observed, leading the researchers to understand that complex interference effects between multiple light modes were amplifying the process. "We didn’t anticipate how well the nanocavities would perform,” says Dr. Herzig Sheinfux. “It was exciting to figure out why they worked so much better than the theory predicted." Transitioning to Bar-Ilan: Navigating Challenges in Times of War Dr. Herzig Sheinfux, who officially joined Bar-Ilan University on October 8, 2023, spent his first few months in his new position in the Physics department trying to maintain focus. What had seemed important
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