Control of Physical and Chemical Processes with Nonlocal Metal–Dielectric Environments

In this Perspective, we make the case that (meta) material platforms that were originally designed to control the propagation of light can affect scores of physical and chemical phenomena, which are often thought to lie outside of the traditional electrodynamics domain. We show that nonlocal metal-dielectric environments, which can be as simple as metal–dielectric interfaces, can control spontaneous and stimulated emission, Förster energy transfer, wetting contact angle, and rates of chemical reactions. The affected phenomena can occur in both strong and weak coupling regimes and the large coupling strength seems to enhance the effects of nonlocal environments. This intriguing field of study has experienced a rapid growth over the past decade and many exciting discoveries and applications are expected in the years to come.