Purcell effect for active tuning of light scattering from semiconductor optical antennas

Abstract

Tuning the scattering of light The development of nanophotonic technology relies on the ability to control and manipulate light at the nanometer scale. Most devices developed to date have been passive structures or have shown only modest changes in optical properties under an external stimulus. Holsteen et al. tuned the resonant scattering wavelength of silicon nanowires across the entire visible spectrum simply by adjusting the height of the nanowire above a metallic mirror. This nano-electromechanical system illustrates the potential for developing active optical platforms. Science , this issue p. 1407