nanophotonicbased

Nanophotonic-based technologies refer to systems and devices that exploit nanophotonics—the manipulation of light at the nanometer scale using nanostructured materials. By structuring materials at scales smaller than or comparable to the wavelength of light, these approaches enable confinement and control of optical fields beyond conventional diffraction limits. Nanophotonic platforms leverage mechanisms such as surface plasmon resonances in metals, Mie resonances in dielectric nanoparticles, and photonic crystal or metasurface effects to tailor light propagation and light–matter interactions.

Materials and structures in nanophotonics include plasmonic metals (gold, silver) for strong field confinement, dielectric nanostructures (silicon, gallium nitride) to reduce losses, and engineered metasurfaces that can impart abrupt phase, amplitude, or polarization changes. All-dielectric nanophotonics and hybrid plasmonic configurations aim to combine high confinement with lower dissipation. Active elements such as phase-change materials and two-dimensional semiconductors are used to achieve tunability.

Applications span sensing, imaging, and communications, among others. Nanophotonic-based sensors can reach high sensitivity via enhanced near-field interactions and surface-enhanced spectroscopies. On-chip nanophotonic interconnects improve data routing with compact waveguides and multiplexed signals. In imaging, nanostructures enable super-resolution and contrast enhancement. In energy and light emission, nanophotonic concepts improve photovoltaics, LEDs, and nonlinear optical processes, while in quantum technologies they enable efficient light–matter interfaces.

Challenges include fabrication precision, material losses in metal-based components, integration with electronic circuits, thermal management, and reproducibility at scale. Ongoing research seeks to advance hybrid approaches, active tunability, and scalable manufacturing to broaden practical deployment of nanophotonic-based technologies.