Nanophotonics for sustainable energy

Sustainable energy has become a critical challenge for modern society. Energy efficiency and renewable energy are “twin pillars” of sustainability. In this paper we present applications of nanophotonics in both aspects: (1) Electronic-photonic synergy for Green Information Technology by combining the merits of photons in ultralow energy data transmission with those of electrons in high capacity data processing on a single silicon microchip; (2) Self-assembled nanophotonic structures for light-trapping in thin-film solar cells to improve performance/cost ratio of photovoltaics. Efficiently manipulating radiated electromagnetic energy, nanophotonics will “light up” the future of energy sustainability.