Nanophotonic devices

Nanophotonic devices

Prelims:

Science & Technology, Nanotechnology

Mains:

GS Paper III-Science & Technology

Current relevance:

Researchers at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, have demonstrated for the first time that the optical properties of a metal can be actively tuned using mechanical strain, paving the way for programmable nanophotonic devices.

Highlights:

1.      The discovery could enable programmable optical devices, advanced sensors, and faster photonic chips that are compatible with existing semiconductor manufacturing technologies.

2.      Plasmon Resonance:

                    i.            Plasmon resonance is the ability of certain metals to trap and concentrate light into tiny spaces by making their free electrons vibrate together. This allows the development of much smaller and more efficient light-based devices.

                  ii.            Applications include:

·         Ultra-sensitive chemical and biological sensors

·         Cancer diagnostics

·         High-speed optical communication

·         Photonic circuits that use light instead of electricity

·         Meta surfaces for controlling light in advanced optical devices.

3.      Material Used:

       The study used ultrathin films of Titanium Nitride (TiN), a material that behaves similarly to gold in its interaction with light but is much more heat-resistant, chemically stable, and compatible with modern computer chip manufacturing (CMOS technology).

Source: PIB https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2282020&reg=3&lang=1