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A method for routing optical signals includes producing a jet of surface plasmons on a metal surface in response to receiving an optical signal from an input optical waveguide. The method includes selectively producing an optical signal in a first output optical waveguide from the produced jet in re

A method for routing optical signals includes producing a jet of surface plasmons on a metal surface in response to receiving an optical signal from an input optical waveguide. The method includes selectively producing an optical signal in a first output optical waveguide from the produced jet in response to the received optical signal having a first wavelength. The method also includes selectively producing an optical signal in a second output optical waveguide from the produced jet in response to the received optical signal having a second wavelength.

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What is claimed is: 1. A method, comprising: producing a jet of surface plasmons on a metal surface in response to receiving an optical signal from an input optical waveguide; selectively producing an optical signal in a first output optical waveguide from the produced jet in response to the recei

What is claimed is: 1. A method, comprising: producing a jet of surface plasmons on a metal surface in response to receiving an optical signal from an input optical waveguide; selectively producing an optical signal in a first output optical waveguide from the produced jet in response to the received optical signal having a first wavelength; and selectively producing an optical signal in a second output waveguide from the produced jet in response to the received optical signal having a second wavelength; and wherein the step of receiving creates surface plasmons with momenta along one direction in response to the signal having the first wavelength and creates surface plasmons with momenta along a different direction in response to the signal having the second wavelength. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising producing a second jet of surface plasmons in response to the received optical signal having the first wavelength. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the producing a jet includes illuminating a portion of a regular array of deformations along the metal surface with light from the optical signal. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the deformations of the array are regularly distributed along two different directions. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the regular array of deformations are substantially identical. 6. The method of claim 4, wherein the regular array of deformations are substantially identical. 7. The method of claim 2, wherein the selectively producing an optical signal in a first output waveguide includes radiating light into the first output optical waveguide from surface plasmons propagating in a regular array of deformations along the metal surface. 8. The method of claim 2, wherein the selectively producing an optical signal in a second output waveguide includes receiving light in the second output waveguide from surface plasmons propagating a regular array of deformations along the metal surface.