Plasmonics – a Scalable Path towards a Terabit/s-Technology?

Plasmonics has increasingly the potential to replace traditional photonics. And indeed, a new generation of passive and active plasmonic elements is emerging. Unlike photonic devices these plasmonic elements feature a tiny... [ view full abstract ]

Plasmonics has increasingly the potential to replace traditional photonics. And indeed, a new generation of passive and active plasmonic elements is emerging. Unlike photonic devices these plasmonic elements feature a tiny footprint in combination with an almost unlimited bandwidth. Yet, plasmonic devices also suffer from high losses. The question then is where and when plasmonics really can make a difference. In this talk, we will review and comment the latest generation of plasmonic devices encompassing plasmonic electro-optical modulators, detectors, RF-receivers, couplers and waveguides. Finally, we will introduce plasmonic devices that feature not only lowest power consumption but also a footprint at the single atom level.