Nanoinsulators and nanoconnectors for optical nanocircuits

TL;DR

This paper explores the design and analysis of optical nanocircuits using nanoinductors, nanocapacitors, nanoinsulators, and nanoconnectors, demonstrating their potential to mimic traditional RF circuit behavior at optical frequencies.

Contribution

It introduces the concepts of nanoinsulators and nanoconnectors, and demonstrates their effectiveness in complex optical nanocircuit configurations through numerical simulations.

Findings

Nanoelements can mimic RF circuit behavior at optical frequencies.

Nanoinsulators reduce coupling between nanocircuit elements.

Nanoconnectors enable proper connection of nanocircuit branches.

Abstract

Following our recent idea of using plasmonic and non-plasmonic nanoparticles as nanoinductors and nanocapacitors in the infrared and optical domains [N. Engheta, A. Salandrino, and A. Alu, Phys. Rev. Letts., Vol. 95, 095504, (2005)], in this work we analyze in detail some complex circuit configurations involving series and parallel combinations of these lumped nanocircuit elements at optical frequencies. Using numerical simulations, it is demonstrated that, after a proper design, the behavior of these nanoelements may closely mimic that of their lower frequency (i.e., radio frequency (RF) and microwave) counterparts, even in relatively complex configurations. In addition, we analyze here in detail the concepts of nanoinsulators and nanoconnectors in the optical domain, demonstrating how these components may be crucial in minimizing the coupling between adjacent optical nanocircuit elements and in properly connecting different branches of the nanocircuit. The unit nanomodules for lumped nanoelements are introduced as building blocks for more complex nanocircuits at optical frequencies. Numerical simulations of some complex circuit scenarios considering the frequency response of these nanocircuits are presented and discussed in details, showing how practical applications of such optical nanocircuit concepts may indeed be feasible within the current limits of nanotechnology.