VISIBLE light should be about as compatible with nanotechnology as a sledgehammer is with a fine Swiss watch. That’s because it has a wavelength of 400 to 700 nanometres, while nanotech structures are measured in tens of nanometres.
Yet researchers have found a way to overcome this obstacle, by creating a nanoscale optical antenna which works much like a radio antenna. The device could pave the way for single-photon light emitters that can be used in quantum computation and communications. Nanoscale optical antennas could also transfer light to and from optical fibres, help build highly integrated photonic circuits, and allow…
