High Fluence Chromium and Tungsten Bowtie Nano-antennas

Area of Science:

• Nanophotonics and Plasmonics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Noble metal nano-antennas enhance light-matter interactions but are susceptible to damage from high laser power.
• Applications include optical sensing, imaging, and solar cells, but power limitations restrict their use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop nano-antennas capable of withstanding high laser fluences.
• To investigate chromium (Cr) and tungsten (W) as alternative materials for robust nano-antennas.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of chromium and tungsten nano-antennas.
• Testing of nano-antenna performance under high laser fluence conditions.
• Comparison of fluence tolerance and electric field enhancement with gold (Au) nano-antennas.

Main Results:

• Chromium and tungsten nano-antennas demonstrated 110 and 300 times higher fluence tolerance, respectively, compared to gold nano-antennas.
• Significant electric field enhancement was maintained in Cr and W nano-antennas.
• The developed nano-antennas overcome limitations of noble metal counterparts in high-power applications.

Conclusions:

• Chromium and tungsten are promising materials for fabricating high-fluence nano-antennas.
• These robust nano-antennas expand the scope of applications for plasmonic devices in high-power laser systems.
• The findings pave the way for more durable and versatile nano-antenna technologies.