Light funneling from a photonic crystal laser cavity to a nano-antenna: overcoming the diffraction limit in optical energy transfer down to the nanoscale

Abstract

We show that the near-field coupling between a photonic crystal microlaser and a nano-antenna can enable hybrid photonic systems that are both physically compact (free from bulky optics) and efficient at transferring optical energy into the nano-antenna. Up to 19% of the laser power from a micron-scale photonic crystal laser cavity is experimentally transferred to a bowtie aperture nano-antenna (BNA) whose area is 400-fold smaller than the overall emission area of the microlaser. Instead of a direct deposition of the nano-antenna onto the photonic crystal, it is fabricated at the apex of a fiber tip to be accurately placed in the microlaser near-field. Such light funneling within a hybrid structure provides a path for overcoming the diffraction limit in optical energy transfer to the nanoscale and should thus open promising avenues in the nanoscale enhancement and confinement of light in compact architectures, impacting applications such as biosensing, optical trapping, local heating, spectroscopy, and nanoimaging.

Funneling and guiding effects in ultrathin aSi-H solar cells using one-dimensional dielectric subwavelength gratings

“…Previous contributions show that this mechanism is at work in multilayer metal-dielectric structures. 34,35 However, metallic layers combined with dielectric layers that can produce light funneling effects will account for both high reflections from the metal surface and high absorption inside the metal itself. In our case, we could produce a similar effect with high aspect ratio dielectric structures.…”

Smallest microhouse in the world, assembled on the facet of an optical fiber by origami and welded in the μRobotex nanofactory

“…However, in our study, we observe the same origami and self-folding process, but it does not depend on the ion implantation dose 1,2 or on the tensile stress of the membrane. 3 The recent development in nanorobotic, nanooptic, nanoprobe, or nanoantenna combines the properties of optical fibers in interaction with another nanosystem like bowtie nanoantenna, 12,13 campanile near-field probes on the facet of an optical fiber. 14 EBL and ultraviolet nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL) in dual SEM/FIB station are often used to produce the optical nanosystem [12][13][14] but the authors, especially the optician researchers, have difficulties to carry out the assembly of the two parts of a system with the right optical precision under vacuum because commercial solutions do not exist.…”

“…3 The recent development in nanorobotic, nanooptic, nanoprobe, or nanoantenna combines the properties of optical fibers in interaction with another nanosystem like bowtie nanoantenna, 12,13 campanile near-field probes on the facet of an optical fiber. 14 EBL and ultraviolet nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL) in dual SEM/FIB station are often used to produce the optical nanosystem [12][13][14] but the authors, especially the optician researchers, have difficulties to carry out the assembly of the two parts of a system with the right optical precision under vacuum because commercial solutions do not exist. The lab on fiber technologies (LOF) 15 is an emerging field, from 2013, with a lot of applications in multifunctional photonic devices, but the actual systems are produced in clean room with conventional facilities, EBL, UV-NIL, SEM, FIB, without robotic actuators and not under vacuum.…”

Strong coupling in hybrid metal–dielectric nanoresonators

“…Combining photonic nanostructures of both types to hybrid architectures offers a promising route towards compact optical elements that combine low absorption losses with small footprints, while at the same time providing a high versatility in engineering the optical response of the hybrid system towards specific functionalities. Importantly, hybrid nanostructures can overcome the size mismatch between a plasmonic nanoantenna and the free-space wavelength, thereby offering a route to establish efficient optical energy transfer from free space down to the nanoscale [5,6]. While the far-field coupling and near-field properties of the individual plasmonic [3,4] and dielectric [7] nanoresonators are fairly well understood, a crucial prerequisite for tailoring the optical response of any hybrid metal-dielectric nanostructure beyond the mere superposition of scattered fields is control over the coupling between the plasmonic and the photonic resonances.…”