Optical antennas as nanoscale resonators

Vectorial probing of electric and magnetic transitions in variable optical environments and vice-versa

We use europium doped single crystalline NaYF₄nanorods for probing the electric and magnetic contributions to the local density of optical states (LDOS). Reciprocically, we determine intrinsic properties of the emitters (oscillator strength, quantum yield) by comparing their measured and simulated optical responses in front of a mirror. We first experimentally determine the specifications of the nanoprobe (orientation and oscillator strength of the electric and magnetic dipoles moments) and show significant orientation sensitivity of the branching ratios associated with electric and magnetic transitions. In a second part, we measure the modification of the LDOS in front of a gold mirror in a Drexhage's experiment. We discuss the role of the electric and magnetic LDOS on the basis of numerical simulations, taking into account the orientation of the dipolar emitters. We demonstrate that they behave like degenerated dipoles sensitive to polarized partial LDOS.

Spontaneous Emission Enhancement by a Rectangular-Aperture Optical Nanoantenna: An Intuitive Semi-Analytical Model of Surface Plasmon Polaritons

The spontaneous-emission enhancement effect of a single metallic rectangular-aperture optical nanoantenna on a SiO2 substrate was investigated theoretically. By considering the excitation and multiple scattering of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) in the aperture, an intuitive and comprehensive SPP model was established. The model can comprehensively predict the total spontaneous emission rate, the radiative emission rate and the angular distribution of the far-field emission of a point source in the aperture. Two phase-matching conditions are derived from the model for predicting the resonance and show that the spontaneous-emission enhancement by the antenna comes from the Fabry–Perot resonance of the SPP in the aperture. In addition, when scanning the position of the point source and the aperture length, the SPP model does not need to repeatedly solve the Maxwell’s equations, which shows a superior computational efficiency compared to the full-wave numerical method.

Optical antennas driven by quantum tunneling: a key issues review

Analogous to radio- and microwave antennas, optical nanoantennas are devices that receive and emit radiation at optical frequencies. Until recently, the realization of electrically driven optical antennas was an outstanding challenge in nanophotonics. In this review we discuss and analyze recent reports in which quantum tunneling-specifically inelastic electron tunneling-is harnessed as a means to convert electrical energy into photons, mediated by optical antennas. To aid this analysis we introduce the fundamentals of optical antennas and inelastic electron tunneling. Our discussion is focused on recent progress in the field and on future directions and opportunities.

Design and Analysis of a Ag Rhombus Nanoparticle Film-Coupled Plasmonic Nanostructure

We design a coupled plasmonic nanostructure, which consists of a Ag rhombus nanoparticle positioned over a silver film, separated by a dielectric spacer layer, and perform numerical analysis by calculating the radiation loss resistance of this nanostructure as the perfect electric conductor metal based on the theory of transmission line modes. Compared with the nanocube or triangular nanodisk film-coupled plasmonic nanostructures introduced in the previous works, a stronger electric field enhancement was achieved in the Ag rhombus nanoparticle film-coupled nanostructure because of the fact that the sharp tip of the rhombus nanoparticle can generate field enhancement at a hot spot. In order to demonstrate that the sharp tip can confine the electromagnetic energies strongly, we also have calculated the Purcell factor and the far-field directivity of the quantum emitter in the vicinity of this nanostructure.

On the emission pattern of nanoscopic emitters in planar anisotropic matrix and nanoantenna structures

Single nanoscopic emitters embedded in the crystalline matrix have become a valuable resource for emerging nanophotonics and quantum technologies. The generally anisotropic nature of the matrix strongly affects the emission properties of the quantum emitters, in particular, when the matrix is assembled in nanophotonic structures. We report on rigorous analysis and engineering of spontaneous emission from single emitters coupled to nanoantenna and planar anisotropic antenna structures. By developing a convenient theoretical method with efficient numerical implementation, we show that accurate modeling of the anisotropy is essential in predicting the emission pattern for many important systems, such as single molecules in the solid-state matrix, isolated defects in 2D materials and so on. In particular, we illustrate the amplified effects of material anisotropy and geometrical anisotropy for emitters coupled to planar antenna and nanoantenna structures. We show that with an appropriate design of the anisotropy, a strong enhancement of the emission rate and a nearly collimated beam from single emitters can be simultaneously achieved.

Control of the emission from electric and magnetic dipoles by gold nanocup antennas

The control of the emission from electric and magnetic dipoles is highly desired for the development of optic chips. Although the emission of electric dipole has been successfully controlled by plasmonic nanoantenna, the control of magnetic dipole emission is relatively difficult. Here, we systematically study the effect of electric and magnetic modes of Au nanocups on the emission of electric and magnetic dipoles. The emission of electric dipole can be enhanced by both the electric and magnetic mode of the Au nanocup, while the emission of the magnetic dipole is only increased by the magnetic mode. The enhancement exhibits wavelength dependence. The wavelength of the largest enhancement is determined by the resonance wavelength of electric and magnetic modes. The enhancement values for electric and magnetic dipoles are determined by the near-field electric and magnetic field enhancements, respectively. More importantly, the emission pattern of magnetic dipole is greatly modified by the magnetic mode of Au nanocup. The directional emission of magnetic dipole is first time realized by use of the magnetic mode of the Au nanocup. Our findings deepen the understanding of the plasmon-controlled emission of electric and magnetic dipoles and will be very helpful to the development of the nanophotonic chips.

Unidirectional Enhanced Dipolar Emission with an Individual Dielectric Nanoantenna

Light manipulation at the nanoscale is the vanguard of plasmonics. Controlling light radiation into a desired direction in parallel with high optical signal enhancement is still a challenge for designing ultracompact nanoantennas far below subwavelength dimensions. Here, we theoretically demonstrate the unidirectional emissions from a local nanoemitter coupled to a hybrid nanoantenna consisting of a plasmonic dipole antenna and an individual silicon nanorod. The emitter near-field was coupled to the dipolar antenna plasmon resonance to achieve a strong radiative decay rate modification, and the emitting plasmon pumped the multipoles within the silicon nanorod for efficient emission redirection. The hybrid antenna sustained a high forward directivity (i.e., a front-to-back ratio of 30 dB) with broadband operating wavelengths in the visible range (i.e., a spectral bandwidth of 240 nm). This facilitated a large library of plasmonic nanostructures to be incorporated, from single element dipole antennas to gap antennas. The proposed hybrid optical nanorouter with ultracompact structural dimensions of 0.08 λ² was capable of spectrally sorting the emission from the local point source into distinct far-field directions, as well as possessing large emission gains introduced by the nanogap. The distinct features of antenna designs hold potential in the areas of novel nanoscale light sources, biosensing, and optical routing.

Nanoimaging and Control of Molecular Vibrations through Electromagnetically Induced Scattering Reaching the Strong Coupling Regime

Optical resonators can enhance light-matter interaction, modify intrinsic molecular properties such as radiative emission rates, and create new molecule-photon hybrid quantum states. To date, corresponding implementations are based on electronic transitions in the visible spectral region with large transition dipoles yet hampered by fast femtosecond electronic dephasing. In contrast, coupling molecular vibrations with their weaker dipoles to infrared optical resonators has been less explored, despite long-lived coherences with 2 orders of magnitude longer dephasing times. Here, we achieve excitation of molecular vibrations through configurable optical interactions of a nanotip with an infrared resonant nanowire that supports tunable bright and nonradiative dark modes. The resulting antenna-vibrational coupling up to 47 ± 5 cm^-1 exceeds the intrinsic dephasing rate of the molecular vibration, leading to hybridization and mode splitting. We observe nanotip-induced quantum interference of vibrational excitation pathways in spectroscopic nanoimaging, which we model classically as plasmonic electromagnetically induced scattering as the phase-controlled extension of the classical analogue of electromagnetically induced transparency and absorption. Our results present a new regime of IR spectroscopy for applications of vibrational coherence from quantum computing to optical control of chemical reactions.

Semianalytical model for the electromagnetic enhancement by a rectangular nanowire optical antenna on metallic substrate

The electromagnetic enhancement by a metallic nanowire optical antenna on metallic substrate is investigated theoretically. By considering the excitation and multiple scattering of surface plasmon polaritons in the nanogap between the antenna and the substrate, we build up an intuitive and comprehensive model that provides semianalytical expressions for the electromagnetic field in the nanogap to achieve an understanding of the mechanism of electromagnetic enhancement. Our results show that antennas with short lengths that support the lowest order of resonance can achieve a high electric-field enhancement factor over a large range of incidence angles. Two phase-matching conditions are derived from the model for predicting the antenna lengths at resonance. Excitation of symmetric or antisymmetric localized surface plasmon resonance is further explained with the model. The model also shows superior computational efficiency compared to the full-wave numerical method when scanning the antenna length, the incidence angle, or the wavelength.

Photoluminescence quenching of dye molecules near a resonant silicon nanoparticle

Luminescent molecules attached to resonant colloidal particles are an important tool to study light-matter interaction. A traditional approach to enhance the photoluminescence intensity of the luminescent molecules in such conjugates is to incorporate spacer-coated plasmonic nanoantennas, where the spacer prevents intense non-radiative decay of the luminescent molecules. Here, we explore the capabilities of an alternative platform for photoluminescence enhancement, which is based on low-loss Mie-resonant colloidal silicon particles. We demonstrate that resonant silicon particles of spherical shape are more efficient for photoluminescence enhancement than their plasmonic counterparts in spacer-free configuration. Our theoretical calculations show that significant enhancement originates from larger quantum yields supported by silicon particles and their resonant features. Our results prove the potential of high-index dielectric particles for spacer-free enhancement of photoluminescence, which potentially could be a future platform for bioimaging and nanolasers.

Nanoscale displacement sensing based on the interaction of a Gaussian beam with dielectric nano-dimer antennas

Measuring nanoscale displacement is crucial for optical nanometrology and optical calibration. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of the far-field scattering of dielectric nano-dimer antennas excited precisely by a Gaussian beam. We demonstrated that the interaction of a Gaussian beam with a dielectric nanoantenna will lead to remarkable sensitivity of the far-field scattering to the displacement at a scale much smaller than the wavelength. The electric/magnetic dipole-dipole interaction model is drawn to analyze the far-field scattering and the results are in good agreement with numerical simulations. This study will pave a simple way to a novel position detection and displacement sensing based on the interaction of general Gaussian beam with nanoantennas.

Plasmon-emitter interaction using integrated ring grating-nanoantenna structures

Overcoming the diffraction limit to achieve high optical resolution is one of the main challenges in the fields of plasmonics, nanooptics and nanophotonics. In this work, we introduce novel plasmonic structures consisting of nanoantennas (nanoprisms, single bowtie nanoantennas and double bowtie nanoantennas) integrated in the center of ring diffraction gratings. Propagating surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are generated by the ring grating and coupled with localized surface plasmons (LSPs) at the nanoantennas exciting emitters placed in their gap. SPPs are widely used for optical waveguiding but provide low resolution due to their weak spatial confinement. In contrast, LSPs provide excellent sub-wavelength confinement but induce large losses. The phenomenon of SPP-LSP coupling witnessed in our structures allows for achieving more precise focusing at the nanoscale, causing an increase in the fluorescence emission of the emitters. Finite-difference time-domain simulations as well as experimental fabrication and optical characterization results are presented to study plasmon-emitter coupling between an ensemble of dye molecules and our integrated plasmonic structures. A comparison is given to highlight the importance of each structure on the photoluminescence and radiative decay enhancement of the molecules.

Fabrication of single-crystalline plasmonic nanostructures on transparent and flexible amorphous substrates

A new experimental technique is developed for producing a high-performance single-crystalline Ag nanostructure on transparent and flexible amorphous substrates for use in plasmonic sensors and circuit components. This technique is based on the epitaxial growth of Ag on a (001)-oriented single-crystalline NaCl substrate, which is subsequently dissolved in ultrapure water to allow the Ag film to be transferred onto a wide range of different substrates. Focused ion beam milling is then used to create an Ag nanoarray structure consisting of 200 cuboid nanoparticles with a side length of 160 nm and sharp, precise edges. This array exhibits a strong signal and a sharp peak in plasmonic properties and Raman intensity when compared with a polycrystalline Ag nanoarray.

Strong plasmonic enhancement of biexciton emission: controlled coupling of a single quantum dot to a gold nanocone antenna

Multiexcitonic transitions and emission of several photons per excitation comprise a very attractive feature of semiconductor quantum dots for optoelectronics applications. However, these higher-order radiative processes are usually quenched in colloidal quantum dots by Auger and other nonradiative decay channels. To increase the multiexcitonic quantum efficiency, several groups have explored plasmonic enhancement, so far with moderate results. By controlled positioning of individual quantum dots in the near field of gold nanocone antennas, we enhance the radiative decay rates of monoexcitons and biexcitons by 109 and 100 folds at quantum efficiencies of 60 and 70%, respectively, in very good agreement with the outcome of numerical calculations. We discuss the implications of our work for future fundamental and applied research in nano-optics.

Molecular fluorescence enhancement in plasmonic environments: exploring the role of nonlocal effects

Molecular spontaneous emission and fluorescence depend strongly on the emitter local environment. Plasmonic nanoparticles provide excellent templates for tailoring fluorophore emission, as they exhibit potential for both fluorescence enhancement and quenching, depending on emitter positioning in the nanoparticle vicinity. Here we explore the influence of hitherto disregarded nonclassical effects on the description of emitter-plasmon hybrids, focusing on the roles of the metal nonlocal response and especially size-dependent plasmon damping. Through extensive modelling of metallic nanospheres and nanoshells coupled to dipole emitters, we show that within a purely classical description a remarkable fluorescence enhancement can be achieved. However, once departing from the local-response approximation, and particularly by implementing the recent generalised nonlocal optical response theory, which provides a more complete physical description combining electron convection and diffusion, we show that not only are fluorescence rates dramatically reduced compared to the predictions of the local description and the common hydrodynamic Drude model, but the optimum emitter-nanoparticle distance is also strongly affected. In this respect, experimental measurements of fluorescence, the theoretical description of which requires a precise concurrent evaluation of far- and near-field properties of the system, constitute a novel, more sensitive probe for assessing the validity of state-of-the-art nonclassical theories.

Spatially uniform enhancement of single quantum dot emission using plasmonic grating decoupler

We demonstrate a spatially uniform enhancement of individual quantum dot (QD) fluorescence emission using plasmonic grating decouplers on thin gold or silver films. Individual QDs are deposited within the grating in a controlled way to investigate the position dependency on both the radiation pattern and emission enhancement. We also describe the optimization of the grating decoupler. We achieve a fluorescence enhancement ~3 times higher than using flat plasmon film, for any QD position in the grating.

Relaxation dynamics of a quantum emitter resonantly coupled to a coherent state of a localized surface plasmon

We investigate the relaxation dynamics of a quantum dipole emitter (QDE), e.g., a molecule or quantum dot, located near a metal nanoparticle (MNP) exhibiting a dipolar localized surface plasmon (LSP) resonance at the frequency of the QDE radiative transition. A generic three-level QDE, which is pumped with an external laser pulse and thereby brought into an optically active excited state, is considered to be weakly coupled to the resonant LSP described by a coherent state. It is shown that, under the condition of the QDE-MNP characteristic relaxation time being much shorter than that of the QDE in free space but much longer than the LSP lifetime, the QDE relaxation dynamics can be described analytically and feature, in general, non-exponential decay with complicated transient behaviour. The main physical consequence of this relaxation process is that the emission, being largely determined by the MNP, comes out with a substantial delay. It is also shown that energy dissipation in the QDE-MNP system is relatively weak with the probability of the photon emission being ∼0.75, a number which, rather surprisingly, does not explicitly depend on the metal absorption characteristics. A large number of QDE-MNP system parameters in our analytical description open new possibilities for controlling quantum emitter dynamics.

Role of surface plasmon polaritons and other waves in the radiation of resonant optical dipole antennas

The radiation of an electric dipole emitter can be drastically enhanced if the emitter is placed in the nano-gap of a metallic dipole antenna. By assuming that only surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are excited on the antenna, we build up an intuitive pure-SPP model that is able to comprehensively predict the electromagnetic features of the antenna radiation, such as the total or radiative emission rate and the far-field radiation pattern. With the model we can distinguish the respective contributions from SPPs and from other surface waves to the antenna radiation. It is found that for antennas with long arms that support higher-order resonances, SPPs provide a dominant contribution to the antenna radiation, while for other cases, the contribution of surface waves other than SPPs should be considered. The model reveals an intuitive picture that the enhancement of the antenna radiation is due to surface waves that are resonantly excited on the two antenna arms and that are further coupled into the nano-gap or scattered into free space. From the model we can derive a phase-matching condition that predicts the antenna resonance and the resultant enhanced radiation. The model is helpful for a physical understanding and intuitive design of antenna devices.

General considerations for the miniaturization of radiative antennae

The small size of plasmonic nanostructures compared to the wavelength of light is one of their most distinct and defining characteristics. It results in the strong compression of an incident wave to intense hot spots which have been used most remarkably for molecular sensing and nanoscale lasers. But another important direction for research is to use this ability to design miniaturized interconnects and modulators between fast, loss-less photonic components. Here we show that despite their high absorption, conductors are still the best materials to reach the sub-wavelength regime for efficient antennae when compared to polar crystals and high-index dielectrics, two classes of material which have shown a lot of potential recently in nanophotonic applications. By identifying the relevant dimensionless properties for the three materials considered, we present an unified understanding of the behaviour of sub-wavelength components which are at the heart of current photonic research and cast the upper achievable limits for radiative antennae crucial to the development of real-life implementation.

Nanostructure arrays in free-space: optical properties and applications

Dielectric and metallic gratings have been studied for more than a century. Nevertheless, novel optical phenomena and fabrication techniques have emerged recently and have opened new perspectives for applications in the visible and infrared domains. Here, we review the design rules and the resonant mechanisms that can lead to very efficient light-matter interactions in sub-wavelength nanostructure arrays. We emphasize the role of symmetries and free-space coupling of resonant structures. We present the different scenarios for perfect optical absorption, transmission or reflection of plane waves in resonant nanostructures. We discuss the fabrication issues, experimental achievements and emerging applications of resonant nanostructure arrays.

Ultrastrong coupling of plasmons and excitons in a nanoshell

The strong coupling regime of hybrid plasmonic-molecular systems is a subject of great interest for its potential to control and engineer light-matter interactions at the nanoscale. Recently, the so-called ultrastrong coupling regime, which is achieved when the light-matter coupling rate reaches a considerable fraction of the emitter transition frequency, has been realized in semiconductor and superconducting systems and in organic molecules embedded in planar microcavities or coupled to surface plasmons. Here we explore the possibility to achieve this regime of light-matter interaction at nanoscale dimensions. We demonstrate by accurate scattering calculations that this regime can be reached in nanoshells constituted by a core of organic molecules surrounded by a silver or gold shell. These hybrid nanoparticles can be exploited for the design of all-optical ultrafast plasmonic nanocircuits and -devices.

Impact of optical antennas on active optoelectronic devices

Remarkable progress has been made in the fabrication and characterization of optical antennas that are integrated with optoelectronic devices. Herein, we describe the fundamental reasons for and experimental evidence of the dramatic improvements that can be achieved by enhancing the light-matter interaction via an optical antenna in both photon-emitting and -detecting devices. In addition, integration of optical antennas with optoelectronic devices can lead to the realization of highly compact multifunctional platforms for future integrated photonics, such as low-cost lab-on-chip systems. In this review paper, we further focus on the effect of optical antennas on the detectivity of infrared photodetectors. One particular finding is that the antenna can have a dual effect on the specific detectivity, while it can elevate light absorption efficiency of sub-wavelength detectors, it can potentially increase the noise of the detectors due to the enhanced spontaneous emission rate. In particular, we predict that the detectivity of interband photon detectors can be negatively affected by the presence of optical antennas across a wide wavelength region covering visible to long wavelength infrared bands. In contrast, the detectivity of intersubband detectors could be generally improved with a properly designed optical antenna.

Metallo-dielectric hybrid antenna for high Purcell factor and radiation efficiency

Based on multisphere Green's function, we investigate the interaction between a dipole source and a hybrid nanoantenna. The parameter of radiation enhancement factor is introduced to characterize spontaneous emission enhancement and radiation efficiency simultaneously. We revisit the emission of silver dimers in the context of radiation enhancement factor. Then the hybrid of metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) and dielectric nanoparticles are designed for strong enhancement as well as high efficiency. Purcell factor over 2000 and radiation efficiency over 50% are achieved by the hybrid antenna. And Purcell factor above 900 with over 57% radiation efficiency is also reached for broadband operation. Such metallo-dielectric hybrid antenna may find potential applications in bright single photon sources and Raman spectroscopy.

Relaxation dynamics of a quantum emitter resonantly coupled to a metal nanoparticle

The presence of a metal nanoparticle (MNP) near a quantum dipole emitter, when a localized surface plasmon mode is excited via the resonant coupling with an excited quantum dipole, dramatically changes the relaxation dynamics: an exponential decay changes to step-like behavior. The main physical consequence of this relaxation process is that the emission, being largely determined by the MNP, comes out with a substantial delay. A large number of system parameters in our analytical description opens new possibilities for controlling quantum emitter dynamics.

Selective excitation of single molecules coupled to the bright mode of a plasmonic cavity

Plasmon-based optical antennas featuring a nanometer-sized gap can enhance the photophysical properties of solid-state quantum emitters by several orders of magnitude at room temperature. However, controlling the position and orientation of an isolated emitter in a metallic resonator, at the nanometer scale, has only been achieved in scanning probe geometries. Using radially polarized cylindrical vector beams and DNA-assembled gold nanoparticle dimers, we demonstrate the reproducible interaction of single dye molecules with the bright longitudinal mode of a plasmonic cavity, achieving decay rate enhancements of 2 orders of magnitude. These results demonstrate that interfacing efficiently isolated quantum emitters and optical nanoantennas is possible on a large scale.

Plasmonic antennas as design elements for coherent ultrafast nanophotonics

Broadband excitation of plasmons allows control of light-matter interaction with nanometric precision at femtosecond timescales. Research in the field has spiked in the past decade in an effort to turn ultrafast plasmonics into a diagnostic, microscopy, computational, and engineering tool for this novel nanometric-femtosecond regime. Despite great developments, this goal has yet to materialize. Previous work failed to provide the ability to engineer and control the ultrafast response of a plasmonic system at will, needed to fully realize the potential of ultrafast nanophotonics in physical, biological, and chemical applications. Here, we perform systematic measurements of the coherent response of plasmonic nanoantennas at femtosecond timescales and use them as building blocks in ultrafast plasmonic structures. We determine the coherent response of individual nanoantennas to femtosecond excitation. By mixing localized resonances of characterized antennas, we design coupled plasmonic structures to achieve well-defined ultrafast and phase-stable field dynamics in a predetermined nanoscale hotspot. We present two examples of the application of such structures: control of the spectral amplitude and phase of a pulse in the near field, and ultrafast switching of mutually coherent hotspots. This simple, reproducible and scalable approach transforms ultrafast plasmonics into a straightforward tool for use in fields as diverse as room temperature quantum optics, nanoscale solid-state physics, and quantum biology.

Reduced linewidth multipolar plasmon resonances in metal nanorods and related applications

Using dark-field scattering spectroscopy, we study the multipolar plasmon resonances in single crystallized silver nanorods. The lineshapes and homogenous linewidths of the surface plasmon resonances (SPRs) of different orders are analyzed and compared. The high-order resonances are found to sustain asymmetric Fano lineshapes and their linewidths are narrower than the dipolar resonance. A quantitative comparison using the finite element method reveals more than a three times reduction in the linewidth for the third order resonance, as compared with the dipolar one. These narrow linewidths result from the smaller radiative damping of the multipolar SPRs. Benefiting from the reduced damping, multipolar SPRs in nanorods are better candidates for many plasmonic applications, including increased-sensitivity single particle SPR sensors and reduced-threshold nanolasers.

Hybrid optical antenna with high directivity gain

Coupling of a far-field optical mode to electronic states of a quantum absorber or emitter is a crucial process in many applications, including infrared sensors, single molecule spectroscopy, and quantum metrology. In particular, achieving high quantum efficiency for a system with a deep subwavelength quantum absorber/emitter has remained desirable. In this Letter, a hybrid optical antenna based on coupling of a photonic nanojet to a metallo-dielectric antenna is proposed, which allows such efficient coupling. A quantum efficiency of about 50% is predicted for a semiconductor with volume of ~λ³/170. Despite the weak optical absorption coefficient of 2000 cm(-1) in the long infrared wavelength of ~8 μm, very strong far-field coupling has been achieved, as evidenced by an axial directivity gain of 16 dB, which is only 3 dB below of theoretical limit. Unlike the common phased array antenna, this structure does not require coherent sources to achieve a high directivity. The quantum efficiency and directivity gain are more than an order of magnitude higher than existing metallic, dielectric, or metallo-dielectric optical antenna.

Highly directional bottom-up 3D nanoantenna for visible light

Controlling light at the nanoscale is of fundamental importance and is essential for applications ranging from optical sensing and metrology to information processing, communications, and quantum optics. Considerable efforts are currently directed towards optical nanoantennas that directionally convert light into strongly localized energy and vice versa. Here we present highly directional 3D nanoantenna operating with visible light. We demonstrate a simple bottom-up approach to produce macroscopic arrays of such nanoantennas and present a way to address their functionality via interaction with quantum dots (QDs), properly embedded in the structure of the nanoantenna. The ease and accessibility of this structurally robust optical antenna device prompts its use as an affordable test bed for concepts in nano-optics and nanophotonics applications.

Theory of the spontaneous optical emission of nanosize photonic and plasmon resonators

We provide a self-consistent electromagnetic theory of the coupling between dipole emitters and dissipative nanoresonators. The theory that relies on the concept of quasinormal modes with complex frequencies provides an accurate closed-form expression for the electromagnetic local density of states of any photonic or plasmonic resonator with strong radiation leakage, absorption, and material dispersion. It represents a powerful tool to calculate and conceptualize the electromagnetic response of systems that are governed by a small number of resonance modes. We use the formalism to revisit Purcell's factor. The new formula substantially differs from the usual one; in particular, it predicts that a spectral detuning between the emitter and the resonance does not necessarily result in a Lorentzian response in the presence of dissipation. Comparisons with fully vectorial numerical calculations for plasmonic nanoresonators made of gold nanorods evidence the high accuracy of the predictions achieved by our semianalytical treatment.

Imaging surface plasmons: from leaky waves to far-field radiation

We show that, contrary to the common wisdom, surface plasmon poles are not involved in the imaging process in leakage radiation microscopy. Identifying the leakage radiation modes directly from a transverse magnetic potential leads us to reconsider the surface plasmon field and unfold the nonplasmonic contribution to the image formation. While both contributions interfere in the imaging process, our analysis reveals that the reassessed plasmonic field embodies a pole mathematically similar to the usual surface plasmon pole. This removes a long-standing ambiguity associated with plasmonic signals in leakage radiation microscopy.

Towards a full characterization of a plasmonic nanostructure with a fluorescent near-field probe

We report on the experimental and theoretical study of the spatial fluctuations of the local density of states (EM-LDOS) and of the fluorescence intensity in the near-field of a gold nanoantenna. EM-LDOS, fluorescence intensity and topography maps are acquired simultaneously by scanning a fluorescent nanosource grafted on the tip of an atomic force microscope at the surface of the sample. The results are in good quantitative agreement with numerical simulations. This work paves the way for a full near-field characterization of an optical nanoantenna.

Antenna-load interactions at optical frequencies: impedance matching to quantum systems

The goal of antenna design at optical frequencies is to deliver optical electromagnetic energy to loads in the form of, e.g., atoms, molecules or nanostructures, or to enhance the radiative emission from such structures, or both. A true optical antenna would, on a qualitatively new level, control the light-matter interaction on the nanoscale for controlled optical signal transduction, radiative decay engineering, quantum coherent control, and super-resolution microscopy, and provide unprecedented sensitivity in spectroscopy. Resonant metallic structures have successfully been designed to approach these goals. They are called optical antennas in analogy to radiofrequency (RF) antennas due to their capability to collect and control electromagnetic fields at optical frequencies. However, in contrast to the RF, where exact design rules for antennas, waveguides, and antenna-load matching in terms of their impedances are well established, substantial physical differences limit the simple extension of the RF concepts into the optical regime. Key distinctions include, for one, intrinsic material resonances including quantum state excitations (metals, metal oxides, semiconductor homo- and heterostructures) and extrinsic resonances (surface plasmon/phonon polaritons) at optical frequencies. Second, in the absence of discrete inductors, capacitors, and resistors, new design strategies must be developed to impedance match the antenna to the load, ultimately in the form of a vibrational, electronic, or spin excitation on the quantum level. Third, there is as yet a lack of standard performance metrics for characterizing, comparing and quantifying optical antenna performance. Therefore, optical antenna development is currently challenged at all the levels of design, fabrication, and characterization. Here we generalize the ideal antenna-load interaction at optical frequencies, characterized by three main steps: (i) far-field reception of a propagating mode exciting an antenna resonance, (ii) subsequent transformation of that mode into a nanoscale spatial localization, and (iii) near-field coupling via an enhanced local density of states to a quantum load. These three steps define the goal of efficient transformation of incident radiation into a quantum excitation in an impedance-matched fashion. We review the physical basis of the light-matter interaction at the transition from the RF to optical regime, discuss the extension of antenna theory as needed for the design of impedance-matched optical antenna-load coupled systems, and provide several examples of the state of the art in design strategies and suggest future extensions. We furthermore suggest new performance metrics based on the combination of electric vector field, field enhancement and capture cross section measurement to aid in comparison between different antenna designs and optimization of optical antenna performance within the physical parameter space.

Metallodielectric hybrid antennas for ultrastrong enhancement of spontaneous emission

We devise new optical antennas that reduce the excited-state radiative lifetimes of emitters to the order of 100 fs while maintaining quantum efficiencies of about 80% at a broadband operation. Here, we combine metallic nanoparticles with planar dielectric structures and exploit design strategies from plasmonic nanoantennas and concepts from cavity quantum electrodynamics to maximize the local density of states and minimize the nonradiative losses incurred by the metallic constituents. The proposed metallodielectric hybrid antennas promise an important impact on various fundamental and applied research fields, including photophysics, ultrafast plasmonics, bright single-photon sources, and Raman spectroscopy.