Nanoscale router converts and directs optical signals
efficiently
A Harvard-led team of researchers has created a new type of
nanoscale device that converts an optical signal into waves that travel along a
metal surface. Significantly, the device can recognize specific kinds of
polarized light and accordingly send the signal in one direction or another.
The findings, published in the April 19 issue of Science,
offer a new way to precisely manipulate light at the subwavelength scale
without damaging a signal that could carry data. This opens the door to a new
generation of on-chip optical interconnects that can efficiently funnel
information from optical to electronic devices.