A special focus issue on nanoplasmonics and metamaterials, specific fields of nano-optics, which discuss the interaction of matter and light at the nanoscale, has been published by the editors of Optical Materials Express (OMEx), an open-access journal of the Optical Society (OSA).
Purdue University’s Vladimir Drachev, who also serves as Associate Editor at OMEx, and Guest Editor at Romain Quidant of Spain-based Catalan Institute for Research in Advanced Studies and the Institute of Photonic Sciences edited and organized the issue.
The nano-optics field holds potential for widening concepts and capabilities of traditional optics down to the nanoscale in order to create miniature photonic equipment that are not restricted by diffraction. In addition to just miniaturization, additional challenges need to be overcome when matter is scaled down to sizes even smaller than the wavelength of light.
Nanoplasmonics investigates the optical characteristics of nanoscale devices that support surface plasmons. Following the invention of surface-enhanced Raman scattering during the 1970s, the field has gained popularity. Due to advanced nanofabrication technologies, nanoplasmonics research has been successfully utilizing noble metal nanostructures, particularly gold and silver, to manipulate light fields well above diffraction limits, ensuring improved light interaction with small quantities of matter down to the level of a single molecule.
In the metamaterials field, scientists target at designing a group of sub-wavelength units that act as efficient materials with unprecedented properties. The successfully demonstrated negative refraction and challenging theoretical proposals, including invisibility and superlensing at optical frequencies have contributed to the increasing popularity of artificial materials.
Source: http://www.opticsinfobase.org/ome/home.cfm