Welcome to the Nanophotonics & light-matter interaction group at ISTA

Welcome to the homepage of the Roques-Carmes Group at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA). Our group focuses on nanophotonics and light–matter interactions.

When confined to the nanoscale, photons exhibit unusual and often counterintuitive behavior, enabling transformative applications in quantum technologies, biosensing, advanced microscopy, and next-generation communication systems. These effects emerge from subwavelength light confinement and fundamental quantum optical interactions that dominate at nanometric length scales.

Over the past decade, the field of nanophotonics has advanced rapidly, driven by the development of highly configurable integrated photonic platforms, the incorporation of novel materials enabling amplification and energy conversion, and major progress in large-scale three-dimensional computational modeling. These advances have translated into impactful commercial technologies, including photonic computing, interconnects, quantum devices, and sensing platforms.

Our group is dedicated to observing, understanding, engineering, and ultimately harnessing new regimes of nanoscale light–matter interaction. Our work combines advanced theoretical frameworks with state-of-the-art experimental techniques, including X-ray imaging, quantum sensing, and high-energy and ultrafast microscopy. We view the lab as an incubator for ideas at the intersection of physics and engineering, with an emphasis on creativity, collaboration, and the translation of fundamental insights into real-world technologies. Current research themes can be found in the Research section.

Prospective students. We are always interested in working with highly motivated and talented students. Prospective PhD students should apply through the centralized ISTA PhD program and indicate their interest in working with our group. Applicants are also encouraged to reach out with a CV and a short description of their research interests. The ISTA PhD program is a US-style graduate school offering a competitive salary, research rotations, and interdisciplinary training across the natural sciences. More information is available here.

Prospective postdocs. We are continuously hiring outstanding postdoctoral researchers. Interested candidates should reach out directly with a CV and a brief statement outlining their research background and interests, ideally including ideas for potential projects aligned with the group’s research directions. ISTA offers competitive postdoctoral salaries and access to strong internal, national, and European fellowship programs. Additional details can be found here.