I am interested in constructing nano-materials with unusual interactions with light, especially ones that can be fabricated on a large scale which can lead to practical use. I have developed a range of unusual nanophotonics including kilometre-scale polymer opals, and am exploring what happens when we confine light to 1nm volumes or below, for probing single molecules and reactions. I have also explored how coherent and quantum properties can be manipulated by nano-structuring semiconductors, producing unusual condensates which can work at room temperature.