Optical anapole modes in hybrid metal–dielectric nanoantenna for near-field enhancement and optical sensing

Metal–dielectric nanostructures in the optical anapole modes are essential for light–matter interactions due to the low material loss and high near-field enhancement. Herein, a hybrid metal–dielectric nanoantenna composed of six wedgeshaped gold(Au) nanoblocks as well as silica(SiO2) and silicon(Si) nanodiscs is designed and analyzed by the finite element method(FEM). The nanoantenna exhibits flexibility in excitation and manipulation of the anapole mode through the strong coupling between the metal and dielectrics, consequently improving the near-field enhancement at the gap. By systematically optimizing the structural parameters, the electric field enhancement factors at wavelengths corresponding to the anapole modes(AM1 and AM2) can be increased to 518 and 1482, respectively. Moreover, the nanoantenna delivers great performance in optical sensing such as a sensitivity of 550 nm/RIU. The results provide guidance and insights into enhancing the coupling between metals and dielectrics for applications such as surface-enhanced Raman scattering and optical sensing.

Nonlinear frequency conversion in optical nanoantennas and metasurfaces:materials evolution and fabrication

Nonlinear frequency conversion is one of the most fundamental processes in nonlinear optics.It has a wide range of applications in our daily lives,including novel light sources,sensing,and information processing.It is usually assumed that nonlinear frequency conversion requires large crystals that gradually accumulate a strong effect.However,the large size of nonlinear crystals is not compatible with the miniaturisation of modern photonic and optoelectronic systems.Therefore,shrinking the nonlinear structures down to the nanoscale,while keeping favourable conversion efficiencies,is of great importance for future photonics applications.In the last decade,researchers have studied the strategies for enhancing the nonlinear efficiencies at the nanoscale,e.g.by employing different nonlinear materials,resonant couplings and hybridization techniques.In this paper,we provide a compact review of the nanomaterials-based efforts,ranging from metal to dielectric and semiconductor nanostructures,including their relevant nanofabrication techniques.

Absorption enhancement and sensing properties of Ag diamond nanoantenna arrays

Noble metal nanoantenna could effectively enhance light absorption and increase detection sensitivity. In this paper,we propose a periodic Ag diamond nanoantenna array to increase the absorption of thin-film solar cells and to improve the detection sensitivity via localized surface plasmon resonance. The effect of nanoantenna arrays on the absorption enhancement is theoretically investigated using the finite difference time domain（FDTD） method with manipulating the spectral response by geometrical parameters of nanoantennas. A maximum absorption enhancement factor of 1.51 has been achieved in this study. In addition, the relation between resonant wavelength（intensity reflectivity） and refractive index is discussed in detail. When detecting the environmental index using resonant wavelengths, a maximum detection sensitivity of about 837 nm/RIU（refractive index unit） and a resolution of about 10-3RIU can be achieved. Moreover, when using the reflectivity, the sensitivity can be as high as 0.93 AU/RIU. Furthermore, we also have theoretically studied the effectiveness of nanoantennas in distinguishing chemical reagents, solution concentrations, and solution allocation ratios by detecting refractive index. From the results presented in this paper, we conclude that this work might be useful for biosensor detection and other types of detections.

Scattering of Circularly Polarized Terahertz Waves on a Graphene Nanoantenna

We present a surface current method to model the graphene rectangular nanoantenna scattering in the terahertz band with Comsol. Compared with the equivalent thin slab method, the results obtained by the surface current method are more accurate and efficient. Then the electromagnetic scattering of circularly polarized terahertz waves on graphene nanoantennas is numerically analyzed by utilizing the surface current method. The depen- dences of the antenna resonant frequency with the circularly polarized wave on width and length are consistent with those for the linear polarized waves. These results are proved to be useful to design et^cient nanoantennas in terahertz wireless communications.

Compact and high-efficient wavelength demultiplexing coupler based on high-index dielectric nanoantennas

Wavelength demultiplexing waveguide couplers have important applications in integrated nanophotonic devices. Two of the most important indicators of the quality of a wavelength demultiplexing coupler are coupling efficiency and splitting ratio. In this study, we utilize two asymmetric high-index dielectric nanoantennas directly positioned on top of a silicon-on insulator waveguide to realize a compact wavelength demultiplexing coupler in a communication band, which is based on the interference of the waveguide modes coupled by the two nanoantennas. We add a Au substrate for further increasing the coupling efficiency. This has constructive and destructive influences on the antenna＇s in-coupling efficiency owing to the Fabry-Perot（FP） resonance in the SiO2 layer. Therefore, we can realize a wavelength demultiplexing coupler with compact size and high coupling efficiency. This coupler has widespread applications in the areas of wavelength filters,on-chip signal processing, and integrated nanophotonic circuits.

Zeptomole Imaging of Cytosolic MicroRNA Cancer Biomarkers with A Light-Controlled Nanoantenna

Detecting and quantifying intracellular microRNAs(miRNAs)are a critical step in resolving a cancer diagnostic and resolving the ensemble of gene products that orchestrate the living state of cells.However,the nanoprobe for detecting low abundance miRNAs in cell cytosol is restricted by either the"one-to-one"signaltrigger model or di culty for cytosol delivery.To address these challenges,we designed a lightharvesting nanoantenna-based nanoprobe,which directs excitation energy to a single molecule to sensitively detect cytosolic miRNA.With light irradiation,the light-harvesting nanoantenna e ectively disrupted lysosomal structures by generationof reactive oxygen species,substantially achieved cytosol delivery.The nanoantenna containing>4000 donor dyes can e ciently transfer excitation energy to one or two acceptors with 99%e ciency,leading to unprecedented signal amplification and biosensing sensitivity.The designed nanoantenna can quantify cytosolic miR-210 at zeptomolar level.The fluorescence lifetime of the donor exhibited good relationship with miR-210 concentration in the range of 0.032 to 2.97 amol/ngRNA.The zeptomole sensitivity of nanoantenna provides accurate bioimaging of miR-210 both in multiple cell lines and in vivo assay,which creates a pathway for the creation of miRNA toolbox for quantitative epigenetics and personalized medicine.

MOF/Polymer-Integrated Multi-Hotspot Mid-Infrared Nanoantennas for Sensitive Detection of CO_(2) Gas

Metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)have been extensively used for gas sorption,storage and separation owing to ultrahigh porosity,exceptional thermal stability,and wide structural diversity.However,when it comes to ultra-low concentration gas detection,technical bottlenecks of MOFs appear due to the poor adsorption capacity at ppm-/ppblevel concentration and the limited sensitivity for signal transduction.Here,we present hybrid MOF-polymer physi-chemisorption mechanisms integrated with infrared(IR)nanoantennas for highly selective and ultrasensitive CO_(2) detection.To improve the adsorption capacity for trace amounts of gas molecules,MOFs are decorated with amino groups to introduce the chemisorption while maintaining the structural integrity for physisorption.Additionally,leveraging all major optimization methods,a multi-hotspot strategy is proposed to improve the sensitivity of nanoantennas by enhancing the near field and engineering the radiative and absorptive loss.As a benefit,we demonstrate the competitive advantages of our strategy against the state-of-the-art miniaturized IR CO_(2) sensors,including low detection limit,high sensitivity(0.18%/ppm),excellent reversibility(variation within 2%),and high selectivity(against C_(2)H_(5)OH,CH_(3)OH,N_(2)).This work provides valuable insights into the integration of advanced porous materials and nanophotonic devices,which can be further adopted in ultra-low concentration gas monitoring in industry and environmental applications.

Second harmonic generation spectroscopy on hybrid plasmonic/dielectric nanoantennas

Plasmonic nanoantennas provide unprecedented opportunities to concentrate light fields in subwavelength-sized volumes.By placing a nonlinear dielectric nanoparticle in such a hot spot,one can hope to take advantage of both the field enhancement provided by nanoantennas and the large,nonlinear optical susceptibility of dielectric nanoparticles.To test this concept,we combine gold gap nanoantennas with second-order,nonlinear zinc sulfide nanoparticles,and performsecond harmonic generation(SHG)spectroscopy on the combined hybrid dielectric/plasmonic nanoantennas as well as on the individual constituents.We find that SHG from the bare gold nanoantennas,even though it should be forbidden due tosymmetry reasons,is several orders ofmagnitude larger than that of the bare zinc sulfide nanoparticles.Even stronger second harmonic signals are generated by the hybrid dielectric/plasmonic nanoantennas.Control experiments with nanoantennas containing linear lanthanumfluoride nanoparticles reveal;however,that the increasedSHG efficiency of the hybrid dielectric/plasmonic nanoantennas does not depend on the nonlinear optical susceptibility of the dielectric nanoparticles but is an effect of the modification of the dielectric environment.The combination of a hybrid dielectric/plasmonic nanoantenna,which is only resonant for the incoming pump light field,with a second nanoantenna,which is resonant for the generated second harmonic light,allows for a further increase in the efficiency of SHG.As the second nanoantenna mediates the coupling of the second harmonic light to the far field,this double-resonant approach also provides us with control over the polarization of the generated light.

Fano resonance boosted cascaded optical field enhancement in a plasmonic nanoparticle-in-cavity nanoantenna array and its SERS application

Cascaded optical field enhancement(CFE)can be realized in some specially designed multiscale plasmonic nanostructures,in which the generation of extremely strong fields at nanoscale volume is crucial for many applications,for example,surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy(SERS).In this paper,we propose a strategy for realizing a high-quality plasmonic nanoparticle-in-cavity(PIC)nanoantenna array,in which strong coupling between a nanoparticle(NP)dark mode with a high-order nanocavity bright mode can produce strong Fano resonance at the target wavelength.The Fano resonance can effectively boost the CFE in a PIC.A cost-effective and reliable nanofabrication method is developed using room temperature nanoimprinting lithography to manufacture high-quality PIC arrays.This technique guarantees the generation of only one gold NP at the bottom of each nanocavity,which is crucial for the generation of the expected CFE.To demonstrate the performance and application of the PIC array,the PIC array is employed as an active SERS substrate for detecting 4-aminothiophenol molecules.An experimental SERS enhancement factor of 2×10^(7) is obtained,which verifies the field enhancement and the potential of this device.

Silver-coated elevated bowtie nanoantenna arrays： Improving the near-field enhancement of gap cavities for highly active surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Improving hot-spot intensity is a key issue in surface-enhanced Raman scattering （SERS）. The bowtie nanoantenna （BNA） is an effective device used to concentrate light energy into a nanoscale volume and produce strong hot spots. Nanosphere lithography （NSL） is a large-area and low-cost technique to produce BNA arrays; however, the SERS activity of NSL-fabricated BNAs is limited. In this paper, we present a simple method to improve the SERS activity of conventional NSL-fabricated BNAs by modifying their geometry. The new configuration is termed ＂silver-coated elevated bowtie nanoantenna＂ （SCEBNA）. SCEBNAs perform intensive near-field enhancement in the gap cavities owing to the integrated contribution of the ＂lightning rod＂ effect, resonance coupling, and the formation of the plasmonic Fabry-Perot cavity. Experimental measurements and finite-difference time-domain simulations revealed that the hot-spot intensity and the substrate enhancement factor can be optimized by adjusting the silver thickness. The optimal sample has the capability of trace-amount detection with fine reproducibility.

Fabrication of electrically contacted plasmonic Schottky nanoantennas on silicon

We fabricate Schottky contact photodetectors based on electrically contacted Au nanoantennas on p-Si for the plasmonic detection of sub-bandgap photons in the optical communications wavelength range. Based on a physical model for the internal photoemission of hot carriers, photons coupled onto the Au nanoantennas excite resonant plasmons, which decay into energetic ＂hot＂ holes emitted over the Schottky barrier at the Au/p-Si interface, resulting in a photocurrent. In our device, the active Schottky area consists of Au/p-Si contact and is very small, whereas the probing pad for external electrical interconnection is larger but consists of Au/Ti/p-Si contact having a comparatively higher Schottky barrier, thus producing negligible photo and dark currents.We describe fabrication that involves an electron-beam lithography step overlaid with photolithography. This highly compact component is very promising for applications in high-density Si photonics.

基于双原子超-亚辐射态选择性驱动的空间定向关联辐射

对于两个二能级原子组成的系统,当受到方向性可调的激光场驱动,同时原子间存在偶极-偶极相互作用和自发辐射相干的条件下,我们研究系统的双光子发射现象.对于全同原子系统,原子在特殊的几何构型下,能够实现将原子系统选择性激发到超辐射态或亚辐射态,详细讨论了关联函数的角分布情况.对于非全同原子系统,由于原子间的失谐,选择性驱动减弱,但是通过失谐的改变,激光方向调节能够对能级间耦合强度产生显著影响.研究发现调整激光的入射角度和原子的失谐,能够改变原子一阶相干,进而可以优化关联函数的角分布图样,以获得良好的对称性.本研究能够实现单侧或双侧高定向双光子发射,这为纳米天线的双光子发射提供了理论依据.

Polarization and structure dependent optical characteristics of the three-arm nanoantenna with C_(3v) symmetry and broken symmetry

The optical properties of a three-arm plasmonic nanoantenna with and without broken symmetry were analyzed in detail. For the symmetrical structure, the local electric field can be significantly enhanced and well confined within the feed gap, whilst the extinction spectrum illustrates polarization independence. With broken symmetry, multi-wavelength resonances are observed due to the single dipole resonance and dipole–dipole coupling effect, and wide tunability is also available through minor structural adjustment. Especially when illuminated by a circularly polarized light beam, the extinction and the electric field distribution can be effectively modulated by just varying the incident wavelength.

Nanospheroidal particles as convenient nanoantenna elements

A highly tunable optical nanoantenna element is proposed through gradual transformation from a sphere to a prolate spheroid. This new element induces field enhancement and an increase in resonance frequency. Rather than a purely metallic material, we propose the use of a metal-coated dielectric spheroid as a nanoelement because of its flexibility. We show that a spheroidal element enhances the near-field better than its rod and sphere counterparts. As such, spheroidal elements are good candidates for improving solar-cell performance.

Infrared phononic nanoantennas:Localized surface phonon polaritons in SiC disks

The electromagnetic interaction of light with polar materials shows a sharp and well defined electromagnetic response in the infrared(IR)region that consists mainly of excitation of optical phonons.Similar to surface plasmons in the visible region,surface phonons can couple efficiently to infrared light in micron-sized antennas made of polar materials.We applied the boundary element method to calculating the infrared electromagnetic response of single SiC disks acting as effective infrared antennas as a function of different parameters such as disk size and thickness.We also analyzed the effect of locating a probing metallic tip near the SiC disk to scatter light in the proximity of the SiC disk,thereby obtaining new spectral peaks connected with localized modes between the tip and the SiC disk.We then further investigated their application in IR scanning probe microscopy.A near-field map of the phononic resonances enhances the understanding of the nature of the IR extinction peaks.

等离激元纳米贴片天线耦合MEH-PPV超薄膜的高亮快速发射

作为一类潜在的纳米光源,共轭聚合物薄膜的荧光寿命通常在1~10 ns的范围内,这阻碍了其在高速光子器件中的应用。本文实现了等离激元纳米贴片天线(NPA)耦合聚[2-甲氧基-5-(2-乙基己氧基)-1,4-苯基乙烯基](MEH-PPV)薄膜的高亮、快速发射,其中11 nm厚的聚(二烯丙基二甲基氯化铵)/聚苯乙烯磺酸钠(PDDA/PSS)n多层自组装膜用作介质层来调节等离激元微腔的损耗特性。实验结果表明,MEH-PPV超薄膜的发射强度增强了1.9倍,而辐射速率增加了7.2倍。以上结果为开发基于MEH-PPV聚合物薄膜的高速光子源提供了理论依据。

纳米环-七聚体金属-介电结构的多重Fano共振特性

为实现可调谐的多重Fano共振特性及设计高灵敏度折射率传感器,本文提出一种纳米环-七聚体金属-介电纳米天线结构,利用有限元方法(Finite Element Method,FEM)研究了Fano共振特性的影响因素和变化规律。研究表明,纳米环-七聚体金属-介电纳米天线的Fano共振特性对高度、入射角度和结构间隙的变化非常敏感;纳米天线的电场强度和电偶极源激发下的珀赛尔系数(Purcell factor,PF)可达134.74 V/m和3214,使得纳米天线中心位置附近的电场强度得到大幅增强;复合纳米天线结构具有较高的灵敏度S和品质因数FOM,分别为1400 nm/RIU和17 RIU^(-1),可作为评价高灵敏度折射率传感器的重要性能指标。本文为实现复合纳米天线结构中Fano共振的可调谐特性提供了一种可行途径,为表面增强拉曼散射、量子发射器和折射率传感器等实际应用奠定了坚实的理论基础。

金属镜面上纳米光学天线阵列自发辐射增强与定向辐射

本文提出一种金属镜面上纳米光学天线阵列结构,天线采用金纳米立方体,单个点辐射源位于天线和金镜面之间的纳米间隙内.天线和金镜面之间的纳米间隙支持间隙表面等离激元,能够增强自发辐射速率;同时,周期排布的纳米天线支持表面晶格共振(surface lattice resonance,SLR),通过适当设计阵列周期,可实现沿垂直于基底方向的远场定向辐射.本文结合阵列扫描法(array scanning method,ASM)和全波严格数值方法,计算了辐射源的自发辐射速率.对于远场辐射强度角分布的计算,本文给出了互易定理方法的严格表述和证明过程,该证明过程不同于已有文献中的证明过程,对于无限大周期结构具有更严格的适用性,或者具有更低的计算量.本文提出的天线结构和设计方法可用于指导设计高速、高亮度、定向辐射光源.

V型纳米金球阵列天线侧向散射方向性的数值模拟

纳米天线侧向散射的方向性在生物感测以及表面增强光谱学等领域都有重要研究价值。侧向散射方向性的产生需要破坏纳米天线相对于平面波极化方向的镜像对称,由纳米粒子阵列构成的纳米天线排列灵活,易于实现非镜像对称结构。采用T-matrix方法对V型纳米金球阵列天线进行数值模拟,研究了其侧向散射的方向性,分别讨论了不同阵元数目构成的不同臂长、不同臂间开角、不同球形阵元半径、不同阵元球心间距对V型天线侧向散射方向性的影响。研究表明V型纳米阵列天线具有侧向散射方向性的可调性。

All-dielectric χ^(2) metasurfaces: recent progress

Optical metasurfaces,i.e.arrays of nanoantennas with sub-wavelength size and separation,enable the manipulation of light-matter interactions in miniaturized optical components with no classical counterparts.Six decades after the first ob-servation of the second harmonic generation(SHG)in bulk crystals,these devices are expected to break new ground in the field of nonlinear optics,shifting the focus from the phase matching approach achieved within long propagation dis-tances to that of near-field resonances interplay in leaky nanocavities.Here we review the recent progress in SHG with all-dielectric metasurfaces.We discuss the most used technological platforms which underpinned such advances and analyze different SHG control approaches.We finally compare their performances with other well-established technolo-gies,with the hope to delineate the current state-of-the-art and figure out a few scenarios in which these devices might soon offer unprecedented opportunities.