Controlling Light at the Atomic Scale

Plasmons in atomic-scale structures exhibit intrinsic quantum phenomena related to both the finite confinement that they undergo and the small number of electrons on which they are supported. Their interaction with two-level... [ view full abstract ]

Plasmons in atomic-scale structures exhibit intrinsic quantum phenomena related to both the finite confinement that they undergo and the small number of electrons on which they are supported. Their interaction with two-level emitters is also evidencing strong quantum effects. In this talk I will dis- cuss several salient features of plasmons in graphene and other atomic-scale materials, and in par- ticular their ability to mediate ultrafast heat transfer, the generation of high harmonics, their interaction with molecules and quantum emitters, and their extreme nonlinearity down to the single-photon level.