A nano-wire optical block device for amplifying, modulating, and detecting an optical signal in a large-core hollow metallized waveguide. The nano-wire optical block device comprises a substrate with a plurality of nano-wires coupled to the substrate to form the nano-wire optical block. Each properly formed nano-wire is comprised of a p-doped region, an intrinsic region, and an n-doped region. The nano-wire optical block is operable to be inserted into the large-core hollow metallized waveguide to provide at least one of amplifying, modulating, and detecting the optical signal.