Moving toward the nanoscale

Researchers are significantly working working with structures containing subwavelength-size features to develop optical devices that are used in applications such as laser-beam shaping in laser-based processing and optical interconnects in telecommunication systems. One of the significant advantage of the nanoscale or micro-optics technology is that it allows integration of large and complex optical systems into more compact form. The nanoscale elements are fabricated by modern micromachining techniques, including optical lithography, direct-laser, electron-beam writing, and reactive-ion etching. The nanoscale structures provide the possibility of creating significantly small photonic components such as straight or bent waveguides, wavelength filters, and microcavities. The ability to control or tune the behavior of such structures has also created new prospectives for developing integrated optical circuits.