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Nano-optics from sensing to waveguiding

Nature Photonics volume 1, pages 641–648 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

The design and realization of metallic nanostructures with tunable plasmon resonances has been greatly advanced by combining a wealth of nanofabrication techniques with advances in computational electromagnetic design. Plasmonics — a rapidly emerging subdiscipline of nanophotonics — is aimed at exploiting both localized and propagating surface plasmons for technologically important applications, specifically in sensing and waveguiding. Here we present a brief overview of this rapidly growing research field.

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Figure 1: Nanoparticle resonances.
Figure 2: Tunability of nanoshells.
Figure 3: Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.
Figure 4: Micrographs showing the spatial sensitivity of launching plasmons.
Figure 5: Y-splitter and Mach–Zehnder interferometer for plasmons78.

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Acknowledgements

S. Lal acknowledges useful discussions with J. Britt Lassiter and Nathaniel K. Grady. This work was supported by the Robert A. Welch Foundation grants C-1664 and C-1220, and the Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) grant W911NF-04-01-0203. Additional funding was provided by grants from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, The National Science Foundation and National Aeronatics and Space Administration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, 77005-1892, Texas, USA

    Surbhi Lal & Naomi J. Halas

  2. Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, 77005-1892, Texas, USA

    Stephan Link & Naomi J. Halas

  3. Laboratory for Nanophotonics, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, 77005-1892, Texas, USA

    Surbhi Lal, Stephan Link & Naomi J. Halas

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Correspondence to Naomi J. Halas.

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Lal, S., Link, S. & Halas, N. Nano-optics from sensing to waveguiding. Nature Photon 1, 641–648 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2007.223

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