Physicists measure photonic interactions at the atomic level

By measuring the unique properties of light on the scale of a single atom, researchers from Duke University and Imperial College, London, believe that they have characterized the limits of metal's ability in devices that enhance light.

This field is known as plasmonics because scientists are trying to take advantage of plasmons, electrons that have been "excited" by light in a phenomenon that produces electromagnetic field enhancement. The enhancement achieved by metals at the nanoscale is significantly higher than that achievable with any other material.

Until now, researchers have been unable to quantify plasmonic interactions at very small sizes, and thus have been unable to quantify the practical limitations of light enhancement. This new knowledge gives them a roadmap for precisely controlling light scattering that should help in the development of devices, such as medical sensors and integrated photonic communications components.