cathodoluminescence

A recent discovery has shown that it is possible to confine light at length scales much below the conventional diffraction limit in semiconductors. Previously, this was only considered possible in metals through the excitation of plasmons, which unfortunately are associated with large optical losses. This new discovery opens tremendous possibilities for realizing a new regime of strong light-matter interaction, with important applications in quantum technology as well as the “holy grail” of integrating photonics and electronics.