Aaron Rose studies light-matter interactions in nanomaterials applicable to photochemistry, such as the photoelectrochemical reduction of CO₂. He is particularly interested in controlling chemical reaction energetics and charge transfer using plasmonics and strong exciton–polariton coupling. Material systems under study include the two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDCs), 2D perovskites, and carbon nanotubes.

Aaron joined NREL as a director’s postdoctoral fellow under the mentorship of Jao van de Lagemaat in 2020. He earned his doctorate in condensed matter physics from Boston College in 2019, studying plasmonics and optoelectronics with Michael J. Naughton. Prior to his graduate work, he served as a secondary education Peace Corps volunteer in Burkina Faso, West Africa, for two years.

Research Interests

Solar photochemistry

Quantum and carbon nanomaterials

Photoelectrochemical CO₂ reduction

Strong exciton–polariton coupling

Plasmonics

Ultrafast spectroscopy

Education

Ph.D., Condensed Matter Physics, Boston College

M.S., Condensed Matter Physics, Boston College

B.S., Space Physics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

B.S., Aerospace Engineering, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Associations and Memberships

Member, American Physical Society

Member, Materials Research Society

Featured Work

Plasmon-Mediated Coherent Superposition of Discrete Excitons under Strong Exciton–Plasmon Coupling in Few-Layer MoS2 at Room Temperature, ACS Photonics (2020)

Plasmonic Hot Hole Transfer in Gold Nanoparticle-Decorated Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Nanosheets, ACS Photonics (2020)

Individual Electron and Hole Mobilities in Lead-Halide Perovskites Revealed by Noncontact Methods, ACS Energy Letters (2020)

All-Solution-Processed Micro/Nanowires with Electroplate Welding as Transparent Conducting Electrodes, Phys. Status Solidi (2019)

Wireless Communication System via Nanoscale Plasmonic Antennas, Sci. Rep. (2016)

Aluminum Nanowire Arrays via Directed Assembly, Nano Lett. (2015)

Hot Electron Plasmon-Protected Solar Cell, Opt. Express (2015)

Nanoscope Based on Nanowaveguides, Opt. Express (2014)

Awards and Honors

NREL Director’s Postdoctoral Fellow (2020)

Donald J. White Teaching Excellence Award, Boston College (2017)