About | Research | Publications

Hai Son Nguyen

Associate Professor at École Centrale de Lyon (ECL)
Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon (INL), France
CNRS International NTU–Thales Research Alliance (CINTRA) , Singapore

About

I am a French–Vietnamese physicist, born in Ha Noi (Vietnam) and living in France since 2003. After studying physics in Paris, completing my PhD at the École Normale Supérieure and a postdoctoral fellowship at LPN–CNRS, I settled in Lyon in 2014 as an Associate Professor at École Centrale de Lyon and a researcher at the Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon (INL–CNRS).

My research is driven by fundamental questions about the nature of light: How do radiation and leakage reshape optical modes? Can photonic lattices emulate quantum Hamiltonians or synthetic dimensions? What forms of collective behaviour emerge when photons, excitons, or emitters interact in tailored nanostructures? These questions guide my work at the interface of nanophotonics, quantum optics and condensed-matter physics.

To explore these directions, I combine theoretical modelling, advanced numerical simulations, nanofabrication, and state-of-the-art optical spectroscopy. I develop concepts in non-Hermitian photonics, topological singularities, multilayer and moiré photonic crystals, and exciton–polaritons, and translate them into new optoelectronic and quantum-optical devices. A central theme of my research is the use of photonic systems to reveal wave-physics phenomena—flatbands, synthetic gauge fields, symmetry-protected modes—that bridge classical and quantum physics.

While passionate about fundamental physics, I also work on translating these ideas into practical technologies, including directional and low-threshold microlasers, perovskite LEDs, room-temperature polaritonic emitters, optical trapping schemes, and metasurface-based sensors and light-management concepts.

I am a Junior Member of the Institut Universitaire de France (2020–2025). In 2024, I received the Fabry-de-Gramont Prize from the Société Française d’Optique for my contributions to non-Hermitian photonics and novel optoelectronic devices. Starting in September 2025, I will be on CNRS delegation at the CNRS International NTU–Thales Research Alliance (CINTRA) in Singapore.

Academic Positions & Education

2025 – present

Senior Researcher at CINTRA (NTU–Thales–CNRS)
Adjunct Senior Research Scientist at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.
Working on strong light–matter interaction, topological photonics, and quantum optics with photonic metasurfaces within the CNRS delegation framework.

2020 – 2025

Junior Member of the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF) , a national distinction awarded to outstanding researchers in France to support ambitious, high-impact scientific programmes.

2014 – present

Associate Professor at École Centrale de Lyon (ECL)
Permanent Researcher at the Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon (INL–CNRS), France.
Research on nanophotonic concepts, perovskite-based optoelectronic devices, and solid-state quantum emitters on silicon.

2011 – 2014

Postdoctoral Fellow at the Laboratoire de Photonique et de Nanostructures (LPN–CNRS), Marcoussis, France.
Work on polaritonic devices, quantum fluids of light, and analogue gravity in photonic systems.

2008 – 2011

PhD in Physics, Laboratoire Pierre Aigrain (LPA), École Normale Supérieure, Paris.
Supervisors: Guillaume Cassabois & Carole Diederichs.
Research on optical control of resonant emission from single semiconductor quantum dots.
[Thesis PDF]

2007 – 2008

Master of Physics, Quantum Devices and Nanostructures, Université Paris Diderot (Paris VII).

2005 – 2008

Bachelor in Physics (Magistère – ENS), École Normale Supérieure de Paris.