Molecular Active Plasmonics: Harnessing Molecular Machines for Nanophotonic Applications

Due to the capability of surface plasmons in localizing and guiding light in a sub-wavelength metal structure, surface-plasmon-based photonics or "plasmonics" offers an opportunity to merge photonics and electronics at nanoscale dimensions and makes it possible to realize very large scale electronics and photonics integration (VLSEPI). Although major breakthroughs have been made in passive plasmonic devices, including waveguides, couplers, and lenses, only a limited amount of research has been conducted on active plasmonic components, such as switches and modulators. In this book, the author describes a new concept of molecular active plasmonics (MAP) in which the precisely-controlled nanoscale mechanical motions in artificial molecular machines are harnessed for achieving molecular-level active plasmonic materials and devices. Once established, these molecular-level active plasmonic devices could achieve unprecedented performance and become integral components for future, ultrasmall, energy-saving photonic integrated circuits and VLSEPI, benefiting a range of applications, from optical communications to energy to medical diagnosis.