Recent advances in metamaterials and plasmonics are opening transformative opportunities in environmental science by enabling new ways to sense, monitor, and mitigate environmental challenges. Engineered electromagnetic responses at micro- and nanoscale dimensions provide unprecedented control of light-matter interactions, supporting highly sensitive detection, selective absorption, and enhanced spectroscopy across the electromagnetic spectrum. This session aims to highlight both applied and fundamental research in metamaterials and plasmonics that address --- or show strong potential to address --- environmental problems. In addition to demonstrated environmental technologies, we welcome foundational advances in materials, structures, and physical mechanisms that may enable future environmental applications.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Optical and electromagnetic sensors for air, water, and soil quality monitoring
- Plasmon-enhanced spectroscopy for trace chemical and biological detection
- Metamaterial-based devices for pollutant detection and environmental diagnostics
- Photocatalysis and solar-driven environmental remediation
- Energy harvesting, thermal emission control, and radiative cooling for sustainability
- Environment sensing and imaging enabled by metasurfaces
- Smart and adaptive materials for climate monitoring
- Fundamental advances in metamaterial and plasmonic design, fabrication, and theory with potential environmental relevance
- Novel resonant phenomena, tunability concepts, and light–matter interaction mechanisms linked to sensing, energy, or environmental monitoring
We encourage contributions spanning theory, modelling, fabrication, characterization, and system-level demonstrations, as well as interdisciplinary work bridging electromagnetics, materials science, chemistry, and environmental engineering. Scalable, low-cost, and field-deployable concepts are especially welcome, but visionary and foundational studies that could shape future environmental technologies are equally valued. This session will bring together researchers to discuss emerging directions, share insights, and identify future opportunities where metamaterials and plasmonics can contribute to global environmental sustainability.
