Electromagnetic energy transfer in plasmon wires consisting of chains of closely spaced metal nanoparticles can occur below the diffraction limit by means of coupled plasmon modes. Coherent propagation with group velocities that exceed 0.1 c is possible in straight wires and around sharp corners ͑bending radius much less than wavelength of visible light͒. Energy transmission through chain networks is possible at high efficiencies and is a strong function of the frequency and polarization

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... on of the plasmon mode. Although these structures exhibit transmission losses due to heating of about 3 dB/500 nm, they have optical functionality that cannot be obtained in other ways at a length scale Ӷ1 m.