Patent ID: 8660163

Claim:
An optical amplifier suitable for amplifying optical radiation in the form of plasmon-polariton waves, comprising: an input coupling configured to receive an optical signal having a wavelength in a predetermined range; an optical waveguide having one end optically coupled to the input coupling, the optical waveguide includes a strip comprised of a material having a complex relative permittivity with a negative real part and dimensioned such that optical radiation of the optical signal couples to the strip and propagates along length of the strip as a plasmon-polariton wave; and a casing surrounding the strip and comprised of material having a complex relative permittivity with positive real part, a portion of the casing adjacent to at least one longitudinal surface of the strip and operating as a gain medium to amplify the plasmon-polariton wave propagating along the strip; and an output coupling optically coupled to the optical waveguide and configured to receive the amplified plasmon-polariton wave from the strip.