Data-intensive applications, including Terabit communications and data centers or exa-scale high-performance computers, servers, and big data clouds places exponential requirements on electrical wire signaling. However, data overflow in metallic interconnects is a critical bottleneck, hindering the take-off of those applications. Integrated silicon nanophotonics is appealing for future interconnects that enable squeezing of complex functionalities towards chip-scales, while reducing production cost. This project addresses these challenges and affords key advances in on-chip data communication interconnects near-infrared communication wavelengths by developing critical building blocks using silicon-compatible waveguide technology and subwalength metamaterial nano-structures. Data communication interconnects based on nano-structured silicon photonic elements will provide many advantages beyond the state-of-the-art, while addressing the bandwidth bottleneck, capacity crunch, and energy efficiency in a cost-effective and portable manner.