Peter Schuck

Peter Schuck is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Columbia University. His research spans materials science, applied physics, and nanophotonics, with a focus on optical nanomaterials, upconverting nanoparticles, and van der Waals crystals. Recent breakthroughs include demonstrating Purcell enhancement of directional edge photocurrents in self-cavities, achieving deterministic reconfiguration of single quantum emitters via tip-enhanced nano-optical trapping, and developing infrared nanosensors for piconewton-to-micronewton force detection, published in *Nature*. He also pioneered high-pressure synthesis of ultrasmall nanodiamonds with nitrogen vacancy centers and advanced upconverting nanoparticles for biomedical applications. His work has been recognized with a $1.29M award for deeply subwavelength metabolic imaging using avalanching nanoparticles.