Abstract:

Nanophotonics and, more generally, nanoelectromagnetics(including magnetism, and the spectral ranges around microwave and THz frequencies) have become an extremely active research field, encompassing new materials,new physical phenomena and new design concepts.In both areas, design scenarios typically attempt to confine optical/electromagnetic functionality into the smallest possible volume in order to meet specifications in terms of integration density and device performance unparalleled by state-of-the-art technologies. This approach is based on the fundamental assumption that proper functionality is viable at the nanoscale and accessible from an environment whose scale is larger by several orders of magnitude. Nano-photonic/electromagnetic scientists are actually faced with devices that are operated at their physical limit and therefore have to rely on holistic designs when exploiting new material properties to lift restrictions posed by conventional optical designs, and when addressing the aforementioned interfacing problem. The objective of this special issue is to address these conceptual challenges while highlighting novel trends in nanophotonics and nanoelectromagnetics, including recent progress in modeling and component development.