Abstract

Metallic materials enable the nanoscale control of light, but they are not the only materials that can do this, many alternatives have recently been investigated, such as transparent conducting oxides and high refractive index dielectrics. I will discuss a new alternative approach, one that makes use of organic materials as an alternative to metals to provide a way to confine light at the nanoscale and to enhance light-matter interactions. This new approach leads to a new vision for nanophotonics [1], one that uses organic molecules as building blocks. The use of molecular materials as an alternative to metals is an exciting one since it offers the prospect of materials and nanostructures being made by harnessing supramolecular approaches available in chemistry and biology, including self-assembly. I will examine some of physics involved, discuss some of its limitations , and explore some of the exciting opportunities that await.

© 2017 IEEE