TASMANIA · TheoreticAl Study of MoleculAr Spin PlAsmonics for Nanoscale CommunIcAtions
FP7 — People (Marie Curie Actions)
- Duration
- 2011-03-01 → 2013-02-28
- EU contribution
- €172,403
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MC-IEF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Theoretical study of molecular spin plasmonics for nanoscale communIcations
The further miniaturization of information processing devices and the emergent Networks-on-Chip, which facilitate the communication of multiple processor cores in a distributed architecture, require high-speed links at the nanoscale. The speed of electronic links is limited by dissipation losses while optical interconnects are limited in size by the wavelength of light. A possible solution is the use of surface plasmon polaritons, which are optically excited electromagnetic waves localized near the surface of a metallic conductor. They are attractive because of the very small length scales over which it is possible to localize the electromagnetic fields; the resulting large field strengths greatly enhance the scope for the manipulation of the excitations. In order however for plasmons to be useful for nano-scale communications we have to find ways of actively controlling their propagation. A potential route for active control of plasmons is by using a magnetic field. The TASMANIA project aimed to study the nanoscale interaction of surface plasmon polaritons with magnetic materials. We investigated theoretically and numerically the optical properties and propagation of surface plasmons in magnetic waveguides and cavities consisting of a magnetic dielectric between two sheets of non-magnetic metal. At single magnetic interfaces surface plasmon waves propagate non-reciprocally i.e. the forward and backward waves have different speeds and hence different wavelengths at a given frequency. In a symmetric waveguide however we found that they exhibit reciprocal propagation; the non-reciprocity is manifested instead in the field profile having different distributions for the forward and backward propagating waves. The field profiles are also asymmetric i.e. they electric and magnetic fields are different at the top and bottom interfaces. This offers interesting possibilities to control light-matter interactions at the nanoscale with magnetic fields. We have shown how the electric field asymmetry allows one to control the coupling of emitters inside a cavity and actively to switch it on and off. We have also demonstrated that both the total emission of radiation from the cavity, and the distribution of the far-field radiation, can be strongly modified by tuning the magnetization of the waveguide. These examples point to the possibility of using magnetic control to switch the propagation of fields in more complex photonics structures.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Communication networks and molecular plasmonics are two scientific disciplines, which at first sight might seem completely unrelated but which are about to meet in the emerging fields of nano-networks and nano-communication. Currently networks on chips are still using electronics, which is limited by dissipation losses and low speed. Optics cannot be used on nanoscale because of the diffraction limit of light. Plasmonics on the other hand offers high speeds and can be confined in nanoscale waveguides. In order for it to be really applicable to nano-networks, active devices such as switches and repeaters have to be created. A promising path to explore in the search for active devices on the nanoscale is the coupling between molecules and plasmons. The project aims to study the coupling between archetypal optically active molecules, the metal phthalocyanines and surface plasmon polaritons. It will also look at the scattering of plasmons from molecules and their subsequent propagation in order to identify possible anisotropy, which would allow for the application of the molecules as a plasmonic switch. A preliminary theoretical study has given promising results in this direction. Thus, even though theoretical, the project could have important practical results. The third objective is even more audacious: it aims at looking for interactions between the molecular spin state and the surface plasmons. Such an interaction would constitute huge breakthrough and allow control of the plasmons on quantum level as well as single-shot readout of the molecular spin. Furthermore the project will allow the researcher to undertake an inter-disciplinary experience and establish her as an independent scientist. In this way she can fully utilize her multi-disciplinary, multi-sector background to contribute to the synergy of ICT and nano-technology, thereby increasing European competitiveness in the emerging fields of nano-networks and nano-communication.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON · LONDONCoordinatorUnknown Region
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union