Using surface plasmons in silver nanowires and 2D semiconductors like molybdenum disulphide (MoS2), IBS scientists built three key components for optical communication: optical transistors, optical multiplexers and optical signal detectors.
These devices work thanks to a phenomenon called plasmon-exciton-plasmon interconversion.
IBS scientists constructed the optical transistor by interconnecting the silver nanowire to a flake of MoS2. Light shone on the device is converted to surface plasmon, than to exciton, back to surface plasmon and eventually emitted as light with a shorter wavelength compared to the initial input. For example, if the input light is green, the output light can be red.
Wavelength multiplexing devices were realized in a similar way, but instead of having only a flake of MoS2, the researchers used an array of three different 2D semiconductor materials emitting light at different wavelengths. In this structure, for example, a single input light (violet color) generates three output lights (blue, green and red).
The propagating optical signals along the silver nanowire can be also transformed and detected as electrical signals by an optical signal detector.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 29 2016, @02:02AM
Wavelength, frequency, what's the difference? It's all eggheaded techy crap. The important thing is to get your name published. There's money in attention whoring!
(Score: 1) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Tuesday November 29 2016, @05:57AM
Wavelength Division Multiplexing sounds cooler than Frequency Division Multiplexing: because optics!