Book excerpt: This book targets new trends in microwave engineering by downscaling components and devices for industrial purposes such as miniaturization and function densification, in association with the new approach of activation by a confined optical remote control. It covers the fundamental groundwork of the structure, property, characterization methods and applications of 1D and 2D nanostructures, along with providing the necessary knowledge on atomic structure, how it relates to the material band-structure and how this in turn leads to the amazing properties of these structures. It thus provides new graduates, PhD students and post-doctorates with a resource equipping them with the knowledge to undertake their research.