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Institute of Physics Institute of Physics

ENW-M grant for Jorik van de Groep and Corentin Coulais

15 April 2026

The NWO Science Board has approved a new round of grant applications in the Open Competition Domain Science-M programme. UvA-Institute of Physics researchers Jorik van de Groep and Corentin Coulais have received one of the grants for their project “Shaping Light with Memory: Multistable Optical Metasurfaces”.
Nanoscale surfaces
The team will develop nanoscale surfaces that can steer light by changing their shape. Image: F. van Gorp et al.

M-grants are intended for innovative, high-quality, fundamental research and/or studies involving matters of scientific urgency. The project “Shaping Light with Memory: Multistable Optical Metasurfaces” (affectionately abbreviated as “MOM”) grew out of an earlier, internally funded IoP project. With the M2 funding, Van de Groep and Coulais will be able to employ two PhD students.

Shaping light with memory

In their project, Van de Groep, Coulais and their two new collaborators will develop nanoscale surfaces that can steer light by changing their shape, like the chameleon’s skin. These surfaces “remember” different forms and functions and use tiny electric signals to switch between them. The research will lead to energy-efficient optical devices for future technologies in optical communications, augmented reality, and autonomous vehicles.