Nonlinear and quantum optics in the presence of plasmonic effects

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Light has always been one of our most important tools to study nature and to communicate information. Optical communication is as old as mankind, and microscopes have been used for centuries to explore living organisms. However, it quickly became clear that conventional microscopes cannot resolve structures which are smaller than the wavelength of light - roughly one thousandth of a millimetre. The last three decades have seen remarkable progress in both fields through the invention of the laser, optical fibres, and new designs of optical materials. It is now possible to observe structures that are much smaller than the wavelength of light, and novel materials make optical switching possible: the path of one flash of light can be changed by switching on another light pulse. This phenomenon has been studied, e.g., for the design of an all-optical computer.