Dendritic optical antennas: scattering properties and fluorescence enhancement

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Plasmonics
• Optical Engineering

Background:

• Optical nanoantennas are crucial for manipulating light-matter interactions at the nanoscale.
• Existing nanoantennas often lack electrical connectivity, limiting applications requiring electrical addressing.
• Electrically continuous nanoantennas are desirable for advanced functionalities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the optical response of a novel type of electrically connected nanoantenna, termed "dendritic" antennas.
• To explore the hybridization trends and optical resonances of these dendritic antennas.
• To assess the potential for light emission enhancement using these structures.

Main Methods:

• Experimental characterization of dendritic antenna optical response.
• Theoretical modeling to understand supported optical resonances.
• Photoluminescence measurements to evaluate light emission properties.

Main Results:

• Dendritic antennas exhibit optical resonances analogous to unconnected plasmon phased arrays.
• Experimental and theoretical mapping of optical resonances was achieved.
• Photoluminescence measurements revealed a potential Purcell enhancement exceeding a factor of 58.

Conclusions:

• Dendritic antennas offer a viable approach for electrically connected optical nanoantennas.
• These antennas support tunable optical resonances with potential for significant light enhancement.
• The findings open avenues for applications in electrically controlled nanophotonics.