A paper published on 12 September 2008 in the renowned journal "Physical Review Letters" by the group of Prof. Dr Christoph Lienau, Institute of Physics at the University of Oldenburg, on the field of nano-optics has attracted particular international attention. The work of the Oldenburg researchers was considered so important and trend-setting that it was presented to the general public on 16 September 2008 as "Physical Review Focus". The Oldenburg group led by Dr Parinda Vasa and Lienau - in close collaboration with scientists from Germany, the USA and Korea - was able to analyse for the first time how light and electrons interact with each other in nanostructures made of metals and semiconductors. "The optical properties of metallic nanostructures are currently being studied very intensively by many researchers around the world, as these structures make it possible to build a whole new class of optical microscopes and promise a wide range of applications in optical metamaterials, biosensor technology and even cancer prevention," says Lienau. The big challenge, however, is to store light in metallic structures for longer periods of time.

This could possibly be achieved in composite nanostructures made of metals and semiconductors. So far, however, relatively little is known about how light and electrons interact with each other in such complex nanostructures. Together with the group of Prof. Dr Gregory J. Salamo from the University of Arkansas (USA) and the group of Prof. Dr Dai-Sik Kim from Seoul National University (South Korea), the Oldenburg physicists have now succeeded in designing and producing semiconductor-metal nanostructures with which this interaction could be investigated in detail for the first time. A well-founded theoretical analysis of the experimental data was carried out in co-operation with the group of Prof. Dr Erich Runge from the Technical University of Ilmenau.

Golden waves: The computer simulation shows the electric field strength in the vicinity of nanoscale gold strips (shown in cross-section) when they are irradiated with infrared light.

Kobus Kuipers from the AMOLF Institute in Amsterdam (Netherlands) praises the scientific significance of the study in Physical Review Focus and in particular the many possible applications of the new findings. The work is seen as an important step on the way to new nanolasers and could also help to develop new optical computers or improved solar cells. Sources: 1. "Lights and electrons cooperate", Physical Review Focus, 16 September 2008
2. "Coherent Exciton-Surface-Plasmon-Polariton Interaction in Hybrid Metal-Semiconductor Nanostructures", P. Vasa, R. Pomraenke, S. Schwieger, Yu. I. Mazur, Vas. Kunets, P. Srinivasan, E. Johnson, J. E. Kihm, D. S. Kim, E, Runge, G. Salamo, and C. Lienau. Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 116801
Contact: Prof. Dr Christoph Lienau, Institute of Physics, Ultrafast Nano-Optics Group,
Tel.: 0441/798-348, Email: c h.lienau@uol.de