Plasmonic switches: Resonance‐Coupling‐Based Plasmonic Switches (Small 22/2010)

The cover image features a plasmonic nanoswitch, which is based on the controllable plasmonic-molecular resonance coupling between single gold nanorods and photochromic molecules. The gold nanorods and photochromic molecules are both embedded in a layer of mesostructured silica. The switching behavior, which is triggered by UV illumination, was monitored by the dark-field scattering technique. The estimated power and energy required for operating a single nanorod plasmonic switch are ∼13 pW and ∼39 pJ, respectively, while the modulation depth reaches up to 7.2 dB. This optical control based on the surface plasmon can contribute as a component to plasmonic circuits, which is crucial in solving the size-compatibility problem between electronics and photonics and in merging electronics and photonics together both structurally and functionally. For more information, please read the Communication “Resonance-Coupling-Based Plasmonic Switches” by J. F. Wang and co-workers, beginning on page 2514.