Engineering light–matter interactions with nanophotonic structures

Engineering light–matter interactions at the nanoscale is a central goal of modern photonics, underpinning advances in quantum technologies, nonlinear optics, sensing, and integrated optoelectronics. Nanophotonic structures provide a powerful route to reshape the electromagnetic environment, enabling control over spontaneous emission, optical confinement, photon extraction, and coherent photon–matter dynamics across weak- and strong-coupling regimes. Here, we review representative quantum-emitter platforms and nanophotonic architectures, comparing their respective strengths and limitations in terms of application suitability and practical considerations, such as integration potential and fabrication complexity. For devices combining quantum emitters with nanophotonic structures, particular emphasis is placed on the gap between ideal optical metrics and experimentally measured performance, arising from spatial, spectral, and polarization mismatch, dissipation, fabrication imperfections, and material constraints. These considerations connect fundamental light–matter interactions to applications ranging from quantum light sources and optical sensing to cavity quantum electrodynamics interfaces and quantum simulation. Future progress will increasingly rely on the co-design of quantum emitters, electromagnetic modes, and output channels, rather than the isolated optimization of individual photonic structures.