Antenna length and polarization response of antenna-coupled MOM diode infrared detectors

This work focuses on the fabrication and response of dipole antenna-coupled metal–oxide–metal diode detectors to long-wave infrared radiation. The detectors are fabricated using a single electron beam lithography step and a shadow evaporation technique. The detector’s characteristics are presented, which include response as a function of incident infrared power and polarization angle. In addition, the effect of dipole antenna length on detection characteristics for 10.6 μm radiation has been measured to determine resonant lengths. The response of the detector shows a first resonance at a dipole length of 3.1 μm, a second resonance at 9.3 μm, and third at 15.5 μm. The zeros intermediate to the resonances are also evident.     

光电导天线辐射阻抗特性模拟分析(英文)

针对连续太赫兹光电导天线辐射功率较低的缺点,利用有限积分方法对三种常用的光电导天线,包括偶极天线、蝶形天线和螺旋天线,进行数值模拟并分析比较其辐射阻抗特性.仿真结果表明,偶极天线的辐射阻抗与偶极长度、宽度、电极间隙以及传输线宽度有关,且在其谐振频率存在峰值阻抗,适用于特定频率的太赫兹波辐射.蝶形天线和螺旋天线在所研究的太赫兹波段具有近似稳定的辐射阻抗,广泛应用于宽带领域.对带有交叉电极的电极间隙进行计算,结果表明由交叉电极引入的附加电容降低了天线的高频阻抗.     

Measurement of the Mutual Coherence Function of an Incoherent Infrared Field with a Gold Nano-wire Dipole Antenna Array

The first direct measurement of the mutual coherence function of a spatially incoherent infrared beam was performed at 10.6 μm using a pair of infrared dipole nano-wire antennas that were connected to a common bolometer in the center of the pair by short lengths of coplanar strip transmission line. A spatially incoherent source was constructed by dithering a BaF2 diffuser near the focus of a CO2 laser beam. The distance from the diffuser to the nano-wire antenna pair was held constant while the distance from the focus of the laser beam to the diffuser was varied to control the effective diameter of the source. The measured bolometer signal was proportional to the magnitude of the mutual coherence function at the plane of the antennas. The experimental results were found to match the predicted performance closely. If this technology can be extended to large arrays, a form of synthetic aperture optical imaging based on the Van Cittert-Zernike theorem is possible, similar to that performed at microwave frequencies now by astronomers. This has the potential to greatly increase the angular resolution attainable with optical instruments.     

碳纳米管光学天线的有效波长和谐振特性

将经典金属自由电子气模型应用于金属型碳纳米管, 基于光学天线有效波长理论, 得出了金属型碳纳米管光学天线响应的有效波长与碳纳米管介电特性之间的普适关系. 在对碳纳米管介电特性进行第一性原理计算的基础上, 以金属型4 Å碳纳米管为例, 进一步研究了金属型碳纳米管光学天线响应的有效波长与入射波长之间的关系, 以及金属型碳纳米管光学偶极子天线的谐振特性. 通过将已有传统金属光学天线和碳纳米管天线有效波长的研究结果进行对比, 验证了本文理论的正确性. 结果表明, 碳纳米管光学天线响应的有效波长与入射波长呈近似线性关系, 与传统金属材料构成的同直径光学天线相比, 碳纳米管天线显示出了更强的波长压缩能力, 并且在可见光到红外波段内易于发生谐振. 该研究方法可为碳纳米管光学天线研究提供新的思路.     

Integrated nanostrip dipole antennas for coherent 30 THz infrared radiation

We report on the experimental study of infrared nanostrip dipole antennas which are connected to thin-film nanometer Ni-NiO-Ni diodes. The integrated Ni-NiO-Ni diodes are used to detect 30 THz (10 µm) CO₂-laser radiation.The diodes are deposited on 385 µm silicon substrates which are covered with a layer of 1.6 µm SiO₂ on both sides. We have found that in low-power applications 1.6 µm of SiO₂ yields excellent quarter-wave matching layers for wavelengths centered at ₀ = 10.8 µm. By this method 79% of the incident CO₂-laser radiation is transmitted into the Si substrate compared to 48% without SiO₂ layer. The use of SiO₂ quarter-wave matching layers considerably improves the efficiency of infrared nanostrip dipole antennas. This has been confirmed by the study of the laser-induced response of the Ni-NiO-Ni diode detectors as a function of the lengthL of the dipole antenna. Thus, we have observed that the laser-induced response strongly increases for shorter antennas and exhibits a distinct maximum atL=2.8 ± 0.3 µm. For the first time, we have investigated the 30 THz radiation patterns of nanostrip dipole antennas of different lengths. On this occasion, we have observed that the radiation pattern changes when the lengthL of the dipole antenna is varied. This observation indicates that antenna currents propagate on the nanostrip dipole antenna.     

超越SNOM探针通光孔径尺寸的金属纳米间隙超分辨测量

采用电磁场有限元方法,数值模拟了孔径型扫描近场光学显微镜(aperture Scanning Near-field Optical Microscopy,a-SNOM)在照明模式下的工作过程.针对金偶极天线结构,改变天线长度和纳米间隙尺寸,计算了a-SNOM探针孔径的远场辐射速率随探针端面中心坐标变化的扫描曲线,实现了超越a-SNOM探针通光孔径尺寸的天线金属纳米间隙的超分辨测量,对于100nm通光孔径的探针,可分辨最小尺寸为10nm(0.016倍波长)的金属间隙.通过对比金属和介质偶极天线的a-SNOM探针远场辐射速率测量的计算结果,表明天线金属纳米间隙的超分辨测量的实现是由于金属间隙表面等离激元的激发.     

Receiving Antenna in a Magnetoplasma in the Resonance Frequency Band

We find the rms voltage on a receiving dipole antenna in the electromagnetic field of a quasipotential-wave packet in a magnetoplasma in the resonance frequency band. It is shown that this voltage can be determined as a product of the electromagnetic-field amplitude of the incident wave by the effective length L_eff of the receiving antenna. For a short dipole whose length is much smaller than the electromagnetic-mode wavelength, the antenna effective length is proportional to the product of the dipole effective length in free space by the excitation coefficient of quasielectrostatic waves (non-normalized electric-field pattern of a dipole). In the case where the receiving antenna is located in proximity to the resonance cone on the lighted side, this excitation coefficient is much greater than unity. Therefore, the determined voltage differs significantly from the conventional estimate which is based on formulas valid for antennas in free space. We perform our derivations using the reciprocity theorem and the fluctuation-dissipation theorem applied to a regular electromagnetic field and a receiving antenna, which constitute the special case of a system which is not in equilibrium but allows an equilibrium (stationary state) to be reached between the incident radiation field and the electromagnetic field reemitted by the antenna. The emphasis is placed on the universal nature of the applied calculation procedure which is valid for arbitrary antennas and matters.     

Investigation of plasmonics resonance infrared bowtie metal antenna

An approximate resonance wavelength equation that varies with metal antenna structure size is developed to design a bowtie gold metal antenna working at near-infrared (IR) wavelength. Bowtie antenna structures with resonance wavelength of 1.06 μm, 1.55 μm and 10.6 μm are designed based on this equation. A finite-difference time domain (FDTD) algorithm with total field scattered field (TFSF) source simulation shows the resonance wavelength of the designed structures being precisely in agreement with the expected wavelengths from the equation. Planar integration of the metal bowtie antennas is discussed as well. Gold nanohole bowtie antenna arrays are fabricated and the near-field optical transmission properties of the nanohole array are investigated with a near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM). Our experimental results verify the near-field optical transmission performance and further demonstrate that they are in agreement with the theoretical calculation results. The high enhancement efficiency and integration of the metal bowtie antennas open the possibility of a wide application in IR optoelectronics detection and imaging.     

Magnetoabsorption in n-type InSb from 8 to 15 μm

Magnetoabsorption measurements in n-type InSb at T?30K have been made between ～ 8 and 15 μm using magnetic fields up to 150 kOe. The observed absorption peaks are identified as due to combined resonance, harmonics of cyclotron resonance and the corresponding LO phonon-assisted resonances. These resonant absorptions are considered to be important in the interpretation of the observed magnetic field behavior of the threshold and output power of the InSb spin-flip Raman laser pumped with 10.6 μm CO₂ laser.     

Integration of microbolometers with infrared microstrip antennas

We report on various integration schemes of infrared microbolometers with microstrip antennas. The first integration design consists of two gold (Au) rectangular microstrip patches coupled along the radiating edges by a narrow niobium (Nb) strip. Devices using silicon oxide are compared to devices using amorphous silicon as antenna substrate. An extension of the twin-patch detector design is the microstrip dipole antenna-coupled microbolometer. Two ways of connecting the device to the contact pads via narrow dc leads are presented and compared. The contribution of the dc leads to the detector response is eliminated by directly connecting the dipole to the contact pads. The thermal isolation of the microbolometer from the silicon wafer is improved by incorporating air into the antenna dielectric substrate. This leads to higher detector responsivity and shifts the resonance towards longer antennas. The implementation of a bridge microstrip dipole antenna structure is also discussed.     

Spectroscopic mode mapping of resonant plasmon nanoantennas

We present spatially resolved spectral mode mapping of resonant plasmon gap antennas using two-photon luminescence microspectroscopy. The obtained maps are in good agreement with 3D calculations of the antenna modes. The evolution of the modal field with wavelength, both in the gap and along the two coupled gold nanowires forming the antenna, is directly visualized. At resonance, the luminescence for the gap area is enhanced at least 80 times and a comparison with the antenna extremities shows a dynamical charge redistribution due to the near-field coupling between the two arms.     

Resonances of sandwiched optical antenna

We calculate the resonant properties of the sandwiched triangle and bowtie antennas using finite difference time domain technique and compare with one-layer structures. The sandwiched antennas possess two tunable resonances corresponding to the symmetric and antisymmetric modes for dipole excitation, which can be understood by the hybridization of the plasmons supported by the two golden layers of the antennas. We obtain a giant field enhancement and a full width at half maximum as larger as 385 nm for the sandwiched bowtie antenna.     

Investigation of a slot nanoantenna in optical frequency range

Following the analogy of radio frequency slot antenna and its complementary dipole, we propose the implementation of a slot nanoantenna (SNA) in the optical frequency range. Using finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, we investigate the electromagnetic (EM) properties of a SNA formed in a thin gold film and compare the results with the properties of a gold dipole nanoantenna (DNA) of the same dimension as the slot. It is found that the response of the SNA is very similar to the DNA, like their counterparts in the radio frequency (RF) range. The SNA can enhance the near field intensity of incident field which strongly depends on its feedgap dimension. The resonance of the SNA is influenced by its slot length; for the increasing slot length, resonant frequency decreases whereas the sharpness of resonance increases. Besides, the resonance of the SNA is found sensitive to the thickness of metal film, when the latter is smaller than the skin depth. The effect of polarization of incident field on the EM response of the SNA was examined; the field enhancement is optimum when polarization is parallel to the feedgap. Finally, we calculate the radiation patterns of the DNA and SNA and compare them with those of the RF dipole antenna. The radiation pattern of the SNA is found to be independent of its slot length when excited at resonant frequency. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on a slot antenna in the optical frequency.     

Three-dimensional study of planar optical antennas made of split-ring architecture outperforming dipole antennas for increased field localization

Optical antennas are of fundamental importance for the strongly localizing field beyond the diffraction limit. We report that planar optical antennas made of split-ring architecture are numerically found in three-dimensional simulations to outperform dipole antennas for the enhancement of localized field intensity inside their gap regions. The computational results (finite-difference time-domain) indicate that the resulting field localization, which is of the order of many thousandfold, in the case of the split-ring resonators is at least 2 times stronger than the one in the dipole antennas resonant at the same operating wavelength, while the two antenna types feature the same gap size and tip sharpness.     

Resonant plasmonic and vibrational coupling in a tailored nanoantenna for infrared detection

A novel resonant mechanism involving the interference of a broadband plasmon with the narrowband vibration from molecules is presented. With the use of this concept, we demonstrate experimentally the enormous enhancement of the vibrational signals from less than one attomol of molecules on individual gold nanowires, tailored to act as plasmonic nanoantennas in the infrared. By detuning the resonance via a change in the antenna length, a Fano-type behavior of the spectral signal is observed, which is clearly supported by full electrodynamical calculations. This resonant mechanism can be a new paradigm for sensitive infrared identification of molecular groups.     

Design and implementation of dual-band antennas based on a complementary split ring resonators

A simple dual-band antenna design and implementation method is proposed in this work, based on the equivalent media properties inspired by resonant metamaterial elements. The equivalent circuit model of dual-band patch antennas based on a complementary split ring resonator (CSRR) is presented and validated. The dual-band patch antenna is designed etching a CSRR in the patch of a conventional rectangular microstrip patch antenna. The first resonance is governed by the quasi-static resonance of the CSRR while the second resonance is originated by the rectangular patch. The fact of etching a CSRR on a rectangular patch antenna also produces a miniaturization of a conventional patch antenna. The equivalent circuit model proposed in this letter is sound in order to understand the functionality of dual-band patch antennas based on a CSRR. Good agreement between simulation, equivalent circuit model and experimental results is shown and discussed. These results lead the equivalent circuit model to become a simple and straightforward tool for the design of this type of multiband antennas, of low cost and versatile operation for a broad range of wireless communication systems.     

光偶极天线的远场方向性研究

用时域有限差分方法模拟了两种光偶极天线模型的场分布,研究了光偶极天线的远场辐射特性随其长度增加而变化的规律以及影响其远场方向性的因素,发现光偶极天线的远场方向性随其长度增加而变化的规律类似于经典对称振子天线的相应规律.但高阶局域表面等离激元模式的存在使得光偶极天线的远场辐射图更快地出现了旁瓣.这些发现对于提高光天线的性能具有重要意义. 关键词： 光偶极天线 局域表面等离激元 金纳米粒子 远场方向性     

Analytical framework of small-gap photoconductive dipole antenna using equivalent circuit model

A compact planar antenna sources with on-chip fabrication and high directivity in order to achieve large depth-of-field for better image resolution is the prospective demand for THz imaging application. Therefore, the small-gap photoconductive dipole antennas have been explored to fulfil such applications demand. However, there are certain modalities for improving the photoconductive dipole antenna performance which need to identify to accomplish high THz average radiated power and improved total efficiency. The unit-cell small-gap photoconductive dipole antenna radiation power enhancement methods need to optimize the design parameters with photoconductive material selection from theoretical simulation. Further, the potential improvement of coupling efficiency of THz wave with air as well as femto-second laser incident efficiency is also important parameters to enhance the radiation power of small-gap photoconductive dipole antenna. In this paper, we have presented an analytical procedure employing explicit mathematical expression leading to the physical behaviour of small-gap photoconductive dipole antenna. The effects of biased lines on the antenna performance parameters are discussed with the help of proposed equivalent circuit model. We have explored the effect of gap-size on the THz radiated power and on total radiation efficiency from the proposed photoconductive dipole antennas.     

Log-periodic optical antennas with broadband directivity

Optical antennas offer unique possibilities for light manipulation on a sub-wavelength scale. Here, we study log-periodic antennas that exhibit broadband directivity as a result of the self-similar relation between the lengths, separations and widths of the elements. We show through numerical simulations that the log-periodic designs have a considerable potential for improvement of both directivity and operation bandwidth over classical Yagi–Uda designs. Moreover, the directivity is more robust against changes in the location of the source or detector at different antenna elements. We systematically study the influence of geometrical parameters on angular performance and local field enhancement to arrive at optimum values. Next, we demonstrate that introducing a gap in the dipole array architecture can provide at least a ten-fold enhancement of the emitted power. Finally we present an optical zigzag antenna capable of both broader spectral response and even higher directivity.     

Study of a microstrip antenna on anisotropic metamaterials

The annular ring microstrip antennas on metamaterial substrates are modeled and analyzed using full-wave analysis in conjunction with Ansoft HFSS^TM. The influence of the permeability tensor of the split ring resonator medium on the resonant characteristics of the antenna is considered. Numerical results for typical resonant frequency behavior and return loss are presented as function of the metamaterial properties and antenna structural parameters.