Plasmonic nanostructures with singular
geometries can exhibit a
broadband scattering response that at first glance appears to violate
the lower bounds for the radiation quality (Q) factor
of small radiators, known as the Chu limit. Here we explore this apparent
contradiction, investigating the Q factor of the
resonant modes supported by two nearly touching cylinders, and analyze
how their fractional bandwidth fares in relation to the Chu limit.
We first derive lower bounds for the radiation Q factors
of two-dimensional objects of an arbitrary cross-section. We then
discuss the dissipation and radiation Q factors associated
with the plasmonic resonances of a cylinder dimer as a function of
its gap size. We show that the radiation Q factor
is always larger than the minimum Q and, as long
as the peaks in the scattering spectrum are well separated, their
bandwidth is equal to the inverse of their Q factor.
In the limit of touching cylinders, the resonance spectra transition
from discrete to a continuum around an accumulation point, yielding
a broadband response for any finite level of material loss. Within
any given frequency interval, the response is the result of a multitude
of plasmon resonances, each individually obeying the Chu limit. Nevertheless,
the connection between the Q factor and the overall
bandwidth of the scattering response is lost. Our study sheds light
onto the exotic resonant phenomena emerging when plasmonic materials
are shaped in singular geometries, and outlines their opportunities
and limitations for nanophotonics.