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Photonics

Light in chains

Nature volume 448, pages 141–142 (2007)Cite this article

Diffraction places a fundamental limit on the smallest scales at which light can be controlled. A nanoscale silver array not only circumvents the barrier, but steers different-coloured light to different places.

Is it possible to control the concentration of light energy on the nanometre scale? This 'nanofocusing challenge' has implications for a whole host of areas, including small-scale sensing and lasing techniques, high-resolution optical imaging, super-compact photonic circuitry and ultra-sensitive biochemical analysis. It is no surprise, therefore, that it lies at the heart of a lively body of research.

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Figure 1: Signal success.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Niek F. van Hulst is at ICFO – The Institute of Photonic Sciences, Mediterranean Technology Park, Avinguda del Canal Olímpic, 08860 Castelldefels (Barcelona), and ICREA – Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, 08015 Barcelona, Spain. niek.vanhulst@icfo.es,

    Niek F. van Hulst

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  1. Niek F. van Hulst
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van Hulst, N. Light in chains. Nature 448, 141–142 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/448141a

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