Switching light with a silver atom
Alexandros Emboras has created the world's smallest integrated optical switch. Applying a small voltage causes an atom to relocate, turning the switch on or off.
The switch is based on the voltage-induced displacement of one or more silver atoms in the narrow gap between a silver and a platinum plate. See also the external pageIEEE Spectrum article (Downloadpdf (PDF, 112 KB)), the external pageOSA article (Downloadpdf (PDF, 420 KB)), the external pagePhysics Today article (Downloadpdf (PDF, 592 KB)) and More