Adaptive on-chip control of nano-optical fields with optoplasmonic vortex nanogates

 Researchers from Boston University introduce a new approach to realize active spatio-temporal control of light on the nanoscale, which is a major challenge in conventional plasmonic nanocircuitry. Boriskina and Reinhard propose to exploit the rich phase landscape of the near-field of high-Q optical microcavities to manipulate sub-wavelength spatial light distribution in nanoscale plasmonic structures. Their theoretical analysis reveals that the flow of light through plasmonic nanocircuits can be directed and reversibly switched via controllable activation of areas of circulating powerflow (optical vortices), whose positions and mutual coupling can be dynamically controlled by the excitation wavelength, polarization, and modulation of the microcavity refractive index. This research opens new opportunities for the development of locally-addressable vortex-operated switching architectures for quantum information nanocircuit and bio(chemical) sensing platforms. Read more: S.V. Boriskina and B.M. Reinhard, “Adaptive on-chip control of nano-optical fields with opto-plasmonic vortex nanogates,” Opt. Express, 19(22) 22305 2011, http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?uri=oe-19-22-22305