Antenna surface plasmon emission by inelastic tunneling

Area of Science:

• Nanophotonics
• Plasmonics
• Quantum Electronics

Background:

• Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are crucial for nanophotonics, enabling nanoscale confinement of light-matter interactions.
• Current methods for exciting SPPs often rely on diffraction-limited beams, limiting their spatiotemporal control.
• There is a need for microscale, ultrafast electrical sources to fully exploit SPP potential in sensing and information technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, fabricate, and characterize nanoantennas for generating surface plasmons.
• To enable SPP emission through inelastic electron tunneling.
• To control SPP emission properties and enhance efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of precisely engineered nanoantennas.
• Excitation of surface plasmons via inelastic electron tunneling.
• Characterization of antenna performance, including emission spectrum and polarization.

Main Results:

• Nanoantennas successfully emitted surface plasmons using inelastic electron tunneling.
• The nanoantennas demonstrated control over emission spectrum and polarization.
• Emission efficiency was enhanced by over three orders of magnitude compared to conventional methods.
• A theoretical model was developed, showing good agreement with experimental results.

Conclusions:

• Nanoantennas provide a viable microscale ultrafast electrical source for surface plasmons.
• This technology offers enhanced control and efficiency for SPP generation.
• The findings have significant implications for future sensing and information technology applications.