Plasmonics startup receives $1 million from venture capital firm

MIT Technology Review : Nano-Meta Technologies was founded by Vladimir Shalaev and Alexandra Boltasseva of Purdue University in Indiana last year. The company is developing a wide range of technologies that use plasmons—quantum particles of plasma oscillations created by light striking certain metals. Plasmons are useful because they can carry energy to target areas that are smaller than the wavelength of light and thus overcome light’s diffraction limit. One of the company’s projects is a read–write head for magnetic storage devices that will allow for smaller physical memory locations to be accessed and therefore greater storage density. Another project is the development of cancer therapies using metal nanoparticles that accumulate in tumor cells. When a light is shone onto the cells, plasmonic oscillations heat the cells, which can damage the tumor. Because of the progress already made by Shalaev and Boltasseva on plasmonic materials, investment company Quantum Wave Fund invested $1 million in their company to help them develop their early-stage technology.