Optical spectrometer at the nanoscale using optical Yagi-Uda nanoantennas

Abstract : Here we present and analyze an optical spectrum analyzer at the nanometer scale that is able to distribute different frequency contents of the radiation of an optical dipole source into different directions in the space. The spectrum analyzer is composed of arrays of optical Yagi-Uda nanoantennas, forming relatively narrow radiation patterns operating at different frequencies. The optical Yagi-Uda nanoantennas composed of plasmonic core-shell nanoparticles are used as an example of building blocks for this idea in our study. Narrow radiation beams in such antenna arrays are realized by tailoring the scattering phase of the nanoparticles. The sensitivity of such an antenna array to the operating wavelength and the angular distribution of the radiation pattern, which is essential for the operation of the spectrum analyzer proposed here, is studied theoretically. The chromatic dispersion and the angular variation of the radiation pattern of such an optical spectrum analyzer are discussed in detail.

[1]  Gordon S. Kino,et al.  Optical antennas: Resonators for local field enhancement , 2003 .

[2]  J. D. Krauss.  Antennas For All Applications , 1950 .

[3]  Tim H. Taminiau,et al.  Optical antennas direct single-molecule emission , 2008 .

[4]  S. M. Black,et al.  Institute of Physics Publishing Journal of Optics A: Pure and Applied Optics Online Pattern Recognition in Noisy Background by Means of Wavelet Coefficients Thresholding , 2005 .

[5]  L. Novotný,et al.  Enhancement and quenching of single-molecule fluorescence. , 2006, Physical review letters.

[6]  Chew.  Radiation and lifetimes of atoms inside dielectric particles. , 1988, Physical review. A, General physics.

[7]  Holger F. Hofmann,et al.  Design parameters for a nano-optical Yagi–Uda antenna , 2007, cond-mat/0703595.

[8]  Fernando D Stefani,et al.  Enhanced directional excitation and emission of single emitters by a nano-optical Yagi-Uda antenna. , 2008, Optics express.

[9]  O. Martin,et al.  Resonant Optical Antennas , 2005, Science.

[10]  N. Engheta,et al.  Core-Shell Nanowire Optical Antennas Fed by Slab Waveguides , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[11]  L. Kochian.  Author to whom correspondence should be addressed , 2006 .

[12]  Jean-Jacques Greffet,et al.  Single-molecule spontaneous emission close to absorbing nanostructures , 2004 .

[13]  H. Yagi,et al.  Beam transmission of ultra short waves , 1928, Proceedings of the IEEE.

[14]  Vahid Sandoghdar,et al.  Enhancement of single-molecule fluorescence using a gold nanoparticle as an optical nanoantenna. , 2006, Physical review letters.

[15]  W. Barnes,et al.  Fluorescence near interfaces: The role of photonic mode density , 1998 .

[16]  Andrea Alù,et al.  Tuning the scattering response of optical nanoantennas with nanocircuit loads , 2008 .

[17]  Alessandro Salandrino,et al.  Shaping light beams in the nanometer scale: A Yagi-Uda nanoantenna in the optical domain , 2007 .

[18]  R. W. Christy,et al.  Optical Constants of the Noble Metals , 1972 .

[19]  Naomi J. Halas,et al.  Playing with Plasmons: Tuning the Optical Resonant Properties of Metallic Nanoshells , 2005 .

[20]  Daniel Axelrod,et al.  Fluorescence emission patterns near glass and metal-coated surfaces investigated with back focal plane imaging. , 2005, Journal of biomedical optics.

[21]  Andrea Alù,et al.  Input impedance, nanocircuit loading, and radiation tuning of optical nanoantennas. , 2007, Physical review letters.

[22]  R. Silbey,et al.  Lifetime of an excited molecule near a metal mirror: Energy transfer in the Eu3+/silver system , 1974 .

[23]  Albert Polman,et al.  Tunable Nanoscale Localization of Energy on Plasmon Particle Arrays , 2007 .

[24]  P. Tchénio,et al.  Quenching and enhancement of single-molecule fluorescence under metallic and dielectric tips , 2000 .

[25]  M. Garcia-Parajo,et al.  Influencing the angular emission of a single molecule. , 2000, Physical review letters.

[26]  Andreas Bräuer,et al.  Dipole lifetime in stratified media , 2002 .