Electrically-Excited Surface Plasmon Nanosources Using Carbon Nanotube Light Emission: the E²-PLAS project

This project, funded by the European Union under the NanoSci-E+ transnational collaborative programme, was focused on the design, fabrication, characterization and optimization of a surface plasmon (SPP) generator utilizing electroluminescent single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). To achieve this, we have developed the technology and the know-how to realize electroluminescent field effect transistor based on individual SWNTs. For certain bias conditions and electrode materials, we have unambiguously observed electrical excitation of SPP developing in the contacting electrodes.