Expertise

Dr. Caldwell obtained his B.A. in Chemistry in 2000 from Virginia Tech with a minor in History. Following this, he attended the University of Florida where he received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry in 2004. He accepted an American Society of Engineering Education Postdoctoral Fellowship to the US Naval Research Laboratory in 2005, where he was hired on as a staff scientist in 2007. He was promoted to a supervisory role in 2012. In 2013-2014 Dr. Caldwell worked with Prof. Kostya Novoselov at the University of Manchester during a Sabbatical, where they studied two-dimensional materials for infrared nanophotonics, identifying hexagonal boron nitride as a natural hyperbolic material. During his time at NRL he was the recipient of three highly competitive NanoScience Institute (NSI) Grants and several awards for his published works. In 2017 he accepted a tenured Associate Professorship in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Vanderbilt University, with courtesy appointments in Electrical Engineering and Chemistry. He was promoted to Full Professor in 2022.


His research focuses on the confinement of electromagnetic energy to the nano- to atomic-scale and the interactions between light and matter within such confined systems. This involves the sub-diffractional confinement of light using 'polaritons' within the optical spectral domain (primarily the infrared), the design of nanoscale optical components, and identifying and characterizing novel optical, electro-optical and electronic materials.


Links

Organizational Affiliations

Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Vanderbilt University

Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Engineering, Vanderbilt University

Professor of Chemistry, Chemistry, College of Arts & Science, Vanderbilt University

Director of Graduate Studies for the Interdisciplinary Materials Science Program , Interdisciplinary Program in Materials Science, School of Engineering, Vanderbilt University

Director of the Interdisciplinary Materials Science Program , Interdisciplinary Program in Materials Science, School of Engineering, Vanderbilt University

Past Affiliations

Research Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Vanderbilt University

Associate Professor of Chemistry, Chemistry, College of Arts & Science, Vanderbilt University

Flowers Family Chancellor Faculty Fellow, School of Engineering, Vanderbilt University

Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, School of Engineering, Vanderbilt University

Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Vanderbilt University

Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Engineering, Vanderbilt University

Postdoctoral Scholar - Research, Naval Research Laboratory Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering (United States, Washington)

Education

Chemistry
01/01/2004, Ph.D., University of Florida
Chemistry
01/01/2000, B.A., Virginia Polytechnic Institute