Nontechnical Description Remarkable advances in communications, computing, and sensing have been achieved by precise control of interactions between light and matter through photonic metamaterials. These are engineered optical materials that manipulate light through nanoscale structures. However, these materials are reaching their fundamental limits. Future technologies will need access to the molecular and quantum interactions to control optical behavior. This CAREER project establishes a fundamentally different approach. The PI will create a new class of photonic metamaterials in which optical behavior is determined by molecular arrangements and underlying quantum interactions. The research takes advantage of the properties of layered halide perovskites. These materials are composed of atomically thin layers and have tunable electronic and optical properties. These hybrid materials will be used as a platform for embedding tailored molecular building blocks that intrinsically and directly shape optical responses. The project advances fundamental materials research while opening pathways for emerging quantum and sensing technologies. The project integrates research with education to embed materials and photonics concepts in the curriculum. Students engage in concept-linked coursework to pair content-based subject matter with skills development and enhance learning. Thereby, this project strengthens pathways from fundamental discoveries to STEM careers in materials science and photonics. Technical Description Recent breakthroughs in nanophotonics and metamaterials have enabled powerful control of light-matter interactions. However, existing approaches remain fundamentally limited by structural elements defined at the nanoscale through lithography or nanoparticle assemblies. These constraints restrict access to deeper length scales where quantum wavefunctions governed by chemical identity, spatial confinement, and intermolecular interactions can overlap and d