Dielectric-based extremely-low-loss subwavelength-light transport at the nanoscale: An alternative to surface-plasmon-mediated waveguiding

It is demonstrated that with appropriately arranged dielectric nanoparticle structures an extremely low loss guiding of light is achievable at the nanoscale. These dielectric nanoparticle waveguides (DNPWs) exhibit subwavelength transverse confinement of light comparable with metallic plasmon particle waveguides (MPPWs). Different from the MPPWs subject to inevitable intrinsic absorption loss, the material loss for some DNPWs is negligible, enabling long-distance light transport and offering an alternative choice for integrated photonics.