Hector De Los Santos has been a pioneer in the field of plasmon computing since he first proposed the concept in 2010. In 2024, he joined with researchers from University of South Carolina, Ohio State University, and Georgia Institute of Technology. Together, they created an innovative prototype sensor that highlights the future possibilities for plasmon-based logic. This ground-breaking technology could fundamentally reshape how logic devices operate. It takes advantage of the special properties of plasmons—disturbances in electron density—rather than depending on conventional current flows.
Plasmon computing had been De Los Santos’s dream since about 2009. He was motivated by the dramatic progress happening in CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) logic. He recognized the limits of continuous transistor miniaturization with increasing power dissipation. This realization spurred him to find new ways to compute. His latest research, for example, has resulted in the world’s first plasmonic device that can precisely control one plasmon with another. Together, these accomplishments represent an impactful breakthrough in this new frontier.
The Evolution of Plasmon Computing
In 2009, De Los Santos turned his attention to figuring out how to make logic devices throw a better punch. He wanted to capitalize on the incredibly advanced fabrication techniques developed for CMOS technology. His journey then took him to imagine plasmon computing as a radical replacement for silicon-based computing methods.
“I began to think, ‘How can we solve this problem of improving the performance of logic devices while using the same fabrication techniques employed for CMOS—that is, while exploiting the current infrastructure?’” – Hector De Los Santos
De Los Santos has been a dogged advocate for plasmon computing for decades. He has spent the past 10+ years pioneering this groundbreaking field of research and development. His tenacity has led to the development of a Y-junction device that is about five square microns in size. This groundbreaking technology employs a relatively low direct current (DC) voltage between metal foil components and an underlying ground plane to create a virtual ocean of electrons. This configuration would let you manipulate one plasmon with another. This is a critical step in demonstrating the potential of plasmon based logic.
Advancements and Challenges in Plasmon Technology
In 2024, De Los Santos and his collaborators achieved a significant milestone by demonstrating the interaction between two plasmons through their device. While this is only a partial device, it sets an encouraging precedent for the device’s future evolution. Their next aim is to produce an integrated device that uses two control plasmons.
“I demonstrated the partial device, that is just the interaction of two plasmons. The next step would be to demonstrate and fabricate the full device, which would have the two controls,” – Hector De Los Santos
The implications of this technology are profound. Plasmon-based computing would enable faster, lower-energy operations than classical electronic computing devices. De Los Santos explains how plasmons behave similarly to waves on a pond:
“Plasmons are basically the disturbance of the electron density. If you have what is called an electron sea, you can imagine a pond of water. When you disturb the surface, you create waves. And these waves… propagate through the water.” – Hector De Los Santos
Even with these steps forward, De Los Santos admits there are still major hurdles to overcome. He notes that plasmon computing represents a departure from all logic devices based on the flow of electricity. Instead, it utilizes compressed wave flows. This interdisciplinary nature makes it harder for those outside of the field to understand and accept its work.
“I think the main challenge is that the technology doesn’t follow from today’s paradigm of logic devices based on current flows. This is based on wave flows… The knowledge base to understand the device rarely exists in a single head,” – Hector De Los Santos
The Future of Plasmon-Based Logic
De Los Santos hopes to make additional advances that would help build plasmon-based systems into computing architectures. His immediate goal now is to build a functioning prototype device. He’ll then string these devices together into a complete adder, which is the basic building block of computing logic.
“After that gets done, the next step is concatenating them to create a full adder, because that is the fundamental computing logic component,” – Hector De Los Santos
As industry and technology evolves, De Los Santos is hopeful that some of these barriers to adoption can be surmounted. He is convinced that plasmon computing possesses a built-in reversibility. This signature feature combined with low energy wastage presents a convincing advantage of their traditional counterparts. He warns that popular knowledge and enthusiasm for this new approach will be key to its achievement.
“In my opinion, the usual approaches are just doomed… In contrast, plasmon computation is inherently reversible, and there is no fundamental reason it should dissipate any energy during switching,” – Hector De Los Santos