Electromagnetic energy transfer and switching in nanoparticle chain arraysbelow the diffraction limit

Electromagnetic energy transfer in plasmon wires consisting of chains of cl osely spaced metal nanoparticles can occur below the diffraction limit by m eans of coupled plasmon modes. Coherent propagation with group velocities t hat exceed 0.1 c is possible in straight wires and around sharp corners (be nding radius much less than wavelength of visible light). Energy transmissi on through chain networks is possible at high efficiencies and is a strong function of the frequency and polarization direction of the plasmon mode. A lthough these structures exhibit transmission losses due to heating of abou t 3 dB/500 nm, they have optical functionality that cannot be obtained in o ther ways at a length scale much less than1 mum.