We demonstrate the numerical and experimental realization of optimized optical traveling-wave antennas made of low-loss dielectric materials. These antennas exhibit highly directive radiation patterns and our studies reveal that this nature comes from two dominant guided TE modes excited in the waveguide-like director of the antenna, in addition to the leaky modes. The optimized antennas possess a broadband nature and have a nearunity radiation efficiency at an operational wavelength of 780 nm. Compared to the previously studied plasmonic antennas for photon emission, our all-dielectric approach demonstrates a new class of highly directional, low-loss, and broadband optical antennas.

Highly directive antennas with the ability of shaping radiation patterns in desired directions are essential for efficient on-chip optical communication with reduced cross talk. In this paper, we design and optimize three distinct broadband traveling-wave tantalum pentoxide antennas exhibiting highly directional characteristics. Our antennas contain a director and reflector deposited on a glass substrate, which are excited by a dipole emitter placed in the feed gap between the two elements. Full-wave simulations in conjunction with global optimization provide structures with an enhanced linear directivity as high as 119 radiating in the substrate. The high directivity is a result of the interplay between two dominant TE modes and the leaky modes present in the antenna director. Furthermore, these low-loss dielectric antennas exhibit a near-unity radiation efficiency at the operational wavelength of 780 nm and maintain a broad bandwidth. Our numerical results are in good agreement with experimental measurements from the optimized antennas fabricated using a two-step electron-beam lithography, revealing the highly directive nature of our structures. We envision that our antenna designs can be conveniently adapted to other dielectric materials and prove instrumental for inter-chip optical communications and other on-chip applications.