Discovery promises new applications in sensors, lasers, switching and nonlinear and slow-light devices.
Nanostructures with Fano resonance fabricated from plasmonic materials and metamaterials could give rise to a range of applications such as label-free chemical and bioanalysis probes that are adaptable to high-throughput applications, electronics-free sensor for sensing physical parameter changes such as temperature or pressure. Fano resonance permits the creation of ultracompact nanoantennas which can be used in mobile telephones or wireless connections and many other devices (e. g. interferometers, displays, systems for near-field imaging, high-quality optical waveguides, etc.).
Fano resonance was discovered by Ugo Fano in 1961 and exhibits a distinctly asymmetrical line profile (please view Figure in Annex A and Annex B). This resonance allows the organization of interference phenomena on nanoscale which is a feat to organize in classical optics. In plasmonics, this resonance can be very sharp and sensitive to different parameters. It is because of this unique sensitivity of Fano resonance that caused scientists to be interested in investigating its usability in various materials and applications.
The majority of research on Fano resonance for last 50 years was related to quantum systems. However, about three years ago it was found that Fano resonance can be realized in plasmonic materials and metamaterials. This novel discovery was made independently by a few scientific groups. Professor Boris Lukiyanchuk, from the Data Storage Institute (DSI), a research institute of Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), was among the pioneers investigating Fano resonance in such materials. Results of his investigations, together with complimentary studies of distinguished groups from Rice University, Houston, USA, Imperial College London and University of Southampton, UK and also from the University of Stuttgart, Germany are presented in their review paper in Nature Materials, published online on 23 August 2010.
“Due to Fano resonance’s sensitivity, integration of this effect into a new recording media might help us to develop a new recording technology.” says Dr Pantelis Alexopoulos, Executive Director of DSI.
Nature Materials publishes top-tier, original research on all topics within the combined disciplines of materials science and engineering, and is part of world-renowned scientific journal publisher, Nature Publishing Group.
The Data Storage Institute (DSI) is a member of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). Established in 1992 as the Magnetics Technology Centre (MTC), it was renamed Data Storage Institute in 1996. The research institute's vision is to be a vital node in a global community of knowledge generation and innovation, nurturing research talents and capabilities for world-class R&D in next generation storage technologies. DSI is a member of the non-profit Information Storage Industry Consortium (INSIC) of USA. For more information, please visit http://www.dsi.a-star.edu.sg
About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is the lead agency for fostering world-class scientific research and talent for a vibrant knowledge-based and innovation-driven Singapore. A*STAR oversees 14 biomedical sciences, and physical sciences and engineering research institutes, and seven consortia & centre, which are located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis, as well as their immediate vicinity.
A*STAR supports Singapore's key economic clusters by providing intellectual, human and industrial capital to its partners in industry. It also supports extramural research in the universities, hospitals, research centres, and with other local and international partners.
For more information about A*STAR, please visit www.a-star.edu.sg.