Researchers at Penn State’s BioNEMS group have built a plasmonic switch. Combined with optical transistors to make tiny optical circuits , these researchers are on the way to building the worlds first optical computers.

“Plasmonic circuits are a hybrid of electronics and photonics,” he stated. “They can transmit electrons and light at the same time.”

from Physorg.com

They point out that there are difficult questions ahead, while also noting the important achievment.