Broadband - Quantum Style

It doesn't get much more quantum than this, folks!

Rice researchers look to exploit light-electron interface

Sep. 22, 2005 - Researchers in Houston say they've found a way to enable light waves to be coupled efficiently to nanoscale structures and devices.

"We've discovered a universal relationship between the behavior of light and electrons," said study co-author Peter Nordlander, Rice University professor of physics, astronomy and electrical and computer engineering.

"We believe the relationship can be exploited to create nanoscale antennae that convert light into broadband electrical signals capable of carrying approximately 1 million times more data than existing interconnects."

The researchers said they discovered and demonstrated a simple geometry wherein light behaves exactly as electrons do.

The research is available online from the journal Nano Letters and will appear in an upcoming print edition.