In the last two decades, a huge amount of research has been devoted to the development of new lasers with ultra-small size. The greatest progress has been made with semiconductor lasers. A principally new approach in the miniaturization of lasers is an approach based on using instead of photon—plasmon fields. The review is devoted to the actual and rapidly developing field — the physics of plasmon lasers. This area of research is the synthesis of plasmon and laser physics, which arose in connection with the need to reduce losses in plasmonic devices. Electrodynamic, material science, laser physics and other aspects of the topic under consideration are considered. A comparison of photon and plasmon nanolasers are given. The fundamental and technical problems of plasmon nanolasers are discussed. Their numerous applications are also being considered.

Keywords: nanoplasmonics, surface plasmons, laser, nanolaser, spaser PACS: 42.50.−p, 42.50.Nn, 42.55.−f, 42.60.By (all) DOI: 10.3367/UFNe.2017.09.038206 URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/2018/9/b/ 000452480000002 2-s2.0-85058496373 2018PhyU...61..846B Citation: Balykin V I "Plasmon nanolaser: current state and prospects" Phys. Usp. 61 846–870 (2018) BibTexBibNote ® (generic)BibNote ® (RIS)MedlineRefWorks Received: 12th, July 2017, revised: 1st, September 2017, accepted: 21st, September 2017 Оригинал: Балыкин В И «Плазмонный нанолазер: современное состояние и перспективы» УФН 188 935–963 (2018); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.2017.09.038206