The fundamental working principle of nanoscale photonic components involves the interaction of light with materials at the nanoscale. At this scale, light can be confined and guided in ways that differ significantly from macroscopic systems. For example, plasmonics utilizes the oscillation of free electrons at the surface of metals to confine light to sub-wavelength dimensions. Similarly, photonic crystals manipulate the flow of light through periodic dielectric structures, creating bandgaps that control light propagation.
