Connecting lumped circuit elements in a conventional circuit is usually accomplished by conducting wires that act as conduits for the conduction currents with negligible potential drops. More challenging, however, is to extend these concepts to optical nanocircuit elements. Here, following our recent development of optical lumped circuit elements, we show how a special class of nanowaveguides formed by a thin core with relatively large (positive or negative) permittivity surrounded by a thin concentric shell with low permittivity may provide the required analogy to ‘wires’ for optical nano-circuits.

© 2007 Optical Society of America

1. R. W. Rendell, and D. J. Scalapino, "Surface plasmons confined by microstructures on tunnel junctions," Phys. Rev. B 24, 3276 (1981). [CrossRef]
2. X. C. Zeng, P. M. Hui, D. J. Bergman, and D. Stroud, "Correlation and clustering in the optical properties of composites: a numerical study," Phys. Rev. B 39, 13224 (1989). [CrossRef]
3. D. A. Genov, A. K. Sarychev, V. M. Shalaev, and A. Wei, "Resonant field enhancement from metal nanoparticle arrays," Nano Lett. 4, 153 (2004). [CrossRef]
4. A. I. Csurgay, and W. Porod, "Surface plasmon waves in nanoelectronic circuits," Int. J. Circuit Theory and Applications 32, 339 (2004). [CrossRef]
5. N. Engheta, A. Salandrino, and A. Alù, "Circuit elements at optical frequencies: nano-inductors, nano-capacitors and nano-resistors," Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 095504 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
6. A. Alù, A. Salandrino, and N. Engheta, "Parallel, series, and intermediate interconnections of optical nanocircuit elements - Part 2: nanocircuit and physical interpretation," submitted to J. Opt. Soc. Am. B, online at: http://arxiv.org/abs/0707.1003>.
7. A. Alù, and N. Engheta, "Optical nano-transmission lines: synthesis of planar left-handed metamaterials in the infrared and visible regimes," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 23, 571-583 (2006). [CrossRef]
8. A. Alù, and N. Engheta, "Theory of linear chains of metamaterial/plasmonic particles as sub-diffraction optical nanotransmission lines," Phys. Rev. B 74, 205436 (2006). [CrossRef]
9. M. G. Silveirinha, A. Alù, J. Li, and N. Engheta, "Nanoinsulators and nanoconnectors for optical nanocircuits," under review, online at: http://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0703600>.
10. E. D. Palik, Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids (Academic, San Diego, 1985).
11. S. A. Ramakrishna, J. B. Pendry, M. C. K. Wiltshire, and W. J. Stewart, "Imaging the near field," J. Mod. Opt. 50, 1419-1430 (2003).
12. CST Studio Suite2006B, www.cst.com>.
13. J. A. Stratton, Electromagnetic Theory (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1941).
14. A. Alù, F. Bilotti, N. Engheta, and L. Vegni, "Theory and simulations of a conformal omni-directional sub-wavelength metamaterial leaky-wave antenna," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag. 55, 1698-1708 (2007). [CrossRef]
15. A. Alù, M. G. Silveirinha, A. Salandrino, and N. Engheta, "Epsilon-near-zero metamaterials and electromagnetic sources: tailoring the radiation phase pattern," Phys. Rev. B 75, 155410 (2007). [CrossRef]

IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag.

• A. Alù, F. Bilotti, N. Engheta, and L. Vegni, "Theory and simulations of a conformal omni-directional sub-wavelength metamaterial leaky-wave antenna," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag. 55, 1698-1708 (2007). [CrossRef]

Int. J. Circuit Theory and Applications

• A. I. Csurgay, and W. Porod, "Surface plasmon waves in nanoelectronic circuits," Int. J. Circuit Theory and Applications 32, 339 (2004). [CrossRef]

J. Mod. Opt.

• S. A. Ramakrishna, J. B. Pendry, M. C. K. Wiltshire, and W. J. Stewart, "Imaging the near field," J. Mod. Opt. 50, 1419-1430 (2003).

J. Opt. Soc. Am. B

• A. Alù, and N. Engheta, "Optical nano-transmission lines: synthesis of planar left-handed metamaterials in the infrared and visible regimes," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 23, 571-583 (2006). [CrossRef]

Nano Lett.

• D. A. Genov, A. K. Sarychev, V. M. Shalaev, and A. Wei, "Resonant field enhancement from metal nanoparticle arrays," Nano Lett. 4, 153 (2004). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. B

• A. Alù, M. G. Silveirinha, A. Salandrino, and N. Engheta, "Epsilon-near-zero metamaterials and electromagnetic sources: tailoring the radiation phase pattern," Phys. Rev. B 75, 155410 (2007). [CrossRef]
• A. Alù, and N. Engheta, "Theory of linear chains of metamaterial/plasmonic particles as sub-diffraction optical nanotransmission lines," Phys. Rev. B 74, 205436 (2006). [CrossRef]
• R. W. Rendell, and D. J. Scalapino, "Surface plasmons confined by microstructures on tunnel junctions," Phys. Rev. B 24, 3276 (1981). [CrossRef]
• X. C. Zeng, P. M. Hui, D. J. Bergman, and D. Stroud, "Correlation and clustering in the optical properties of composites: a numerical study," Phys. Rev. B 39, 13224 (1989). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• N. Engheta, A. Salandrino, and A. Alù, "Circuit elements at optical frequencies: nano-inductors, nano-capacitors and nano-resistors," Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 095504 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Other

• A. Alù, A. Salandrino, and N. Engheta, "Parallel, series, and intermediate interconnections of optical nanocircuit elements - Part 2: nanocircuit and physical interpretation," submitted to J. Opt. Soc. Am. B, online at: http://arxiv.org/abs/0707.1003>.
• M. G. Silveirinha, A. Alù, J. Li, and N. Engheta, "Nanoinsulators and nanoconnectors for optical nanocircuits," under review, online at: http://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0703600>.
• E. D. Palik, Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids (Academic, San Diego, 1985).
• CST Studio Suite2006B, www.cst.com>.
• J. A. Stratton, Electromagnetic Theory (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1941).

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