Active Plasmonics

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Abstract:

The aim of the Active Plasmonics project is to establish a new technological platform for integratable nanophotonic components with enhanced functionalities. Light generation, guiding and manipulation on a subwavelength scale may be accomplished by utilising the unique properties of metallic nanostructures allowing both optical and electronic signals to be transmitted along the same metallic circuitry. This field of research has emerged as an extremely promising technology with several main application areas: information technology, energy, high-density data storage, the life sciences and security. Plasmonics will only have an impact in real-life applications if active control over plasmonic signals can be achieved directly within nanophotonic circuitry. This can be realised at THz rates and femto-joule energies if plasmonic nanostructures are hybridised with functional (molecular or ferroelectric) materials. This UK research programme is a collaboration between Queen’s University Belfast and Imperial College London. It is funded by EPSRC and also supported by INTEL, Seagate, Ericsson, Oxonica Materials, IMEC and the National Physical Laboratory.