Plasmonic and Surface Plasmon Research

Plasmonics studies how light interacts with the free electrons at the surface of metallic nanostructures, producing tightly confined electromagnetic waves called surface plasmons that can focus optical energy far below the diffraction limit of conventional optics. In biomedical engineering, this capability enables ultrasensitive biosensors capable of detecting disease biomarkers at vanishingly low concentrations, as well as photothermal therapies that use nanoparticles to selectively heat and destroy tumor cells. Researchers are actively exploring how newer materials — particularly graphene and engineered metamaterials — can extend plasmonic behavior into the terahertz range and allow active, tunable control over resonance conditions that traditional metal films cannot achieve. A central open challenge is reducing the signal-damping losses inherent to plasmonic systems while integrating nanoantennas and optical modulators into compact, manufacturable devices that can move from the laboratory into clinical or point-of-care settings.

Works

64,488

Total citations

1,251,455

Keywords

PlasmonicsNanophotonicsSurface PlasmonsGrapheneMetamaterialsNanoantennas