Prospects in optoelectronics is, and considerable. But it slows down the introduction of the lack of many essential elements, analogues of which are available in the traditional silicon electronics. But progress comes slowly. Thus, a group of researchers from ETH Zurich (ETH Zurich), led by Professor Jürg Lyutolda (Juerg Leuthold) was able to create the smallest optical shutter or as it is in the world can still be called a "circuit breaker". Dimensions of the device are so small that even less of the wavelength of the luminous flux dial them.

Silver (the source of the locking of the atom), and a platinum plate located on top of the optical waveguide

By itself, the shutter is so small that it has atomic dimensions are applicable to it; in fact, the system may be used as the only active element silver atom positioned between the silver and platinum substrates. When voltage is applied atom (or a few) overlaps the optical channel, when removed - on the contrary, frees. We remind you, the whole system is much smaller than most thin laser beam, but can work with light waves usual parameters, and therefore, it is applicable in optoelectronic circuits being developed now. Developers rightly called his creation "nanomodulyatorom".

Here is the pilot plant

Of course, we are not talking about the light in the conventional sense of the word, and of plasmons - structures that arise when light transmits its energy to electrons to the outer atomic layer of the metal surface, causing them to vibrate at a frequency of light used. The method is not perfect, the researchers plan to improve the lithography process of preparing such plasmonic gates. Available samples while operating at room temperatures, but their switching speed is poor: while we are talking about hundreds of kilohertz or megahertz. Scientists hope to achieve gigahertz range, and subsequently reach and terahertz barrier.