Plasmonics

Plasmonics is a new branch of science which exploits the properties of plasmons which exist in a metal. Plasmons can be defined as the collective oscillations of the free electron gas density, often at optical frequencies. It is a quasi particle resulting from the quantization of Plasma oscillations. Most of the researches are based on a particular group of plasmons namely ‘SURFACE PLASMONS’ .They are electron waves that propagate along the surface of a conductor. By altering the structure of a metal surface, the interaction of plasmons with light can be modified, offering the potential for revolutionizing photonic systems. Surface plasmons can help to overcome the diffraction limits of size and performance in photonic components. Sub wavelength optics and structures may be possible using plasmonics by exploiting the existence of surface plasmons (SP) in metals. By appropriately designing nanostructures considering its environment, the SP properties can be tailored to making new sub wavelength devices for application ranging from plasmonics chips to bio-photonics. Thus the study of plasmonics has a wide range of applications in various fields such as nanotechnology, medical fields and even in space shuttles.