Electrically-driven Yagi-Uda antennas for light

René Kullock (), Maximilian Ochs, Philipp Grimm, Monika Emmerling and Bert Hecht ()
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René Kullock: Nano-Optics and Biophotonics Group, Experimentelle Physik 5, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland
Maximilian Ochs: Nano-Optics and Biophotonics Group, Experimentelle Physik 5, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland
Philipp Grimm: Nano-Optics and Biophotonics Group, Experimentelle Physik 5, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland
Monika Emmerling: Nano-Optics and Biophotonics Group, Experimentelle Physik 5, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland
Bert Hecht: Nano-Optics and Biophotonics Group, Experimentelle Physik 5, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Yagi-Uda antennas are a key technology for efficiently transmitting information from point to point using radio waves. Since higher frequencies allow higher bandwidths and smaller footprints, a strong incentive exists to shrink Yagi-Uda antennas down to the optical regime. Here we demonstrate electrically-driven Yagi-Uda antennas for light with wavelength-scale footprints that exhibit large directionalities with forward-to-backward ratios of up to 9.1 dB. Light generation is achieved via antenna-enhanced inelastic tunneling of electrons over the antenna feed gap. We obtain reproducible tunnel gaps by means of feedback-controlled dielectrophoresis, which precisely places single surface-passivated gold nanoparticles in the antenna gap. The resulting antennas perform equivalent to radio-frequency antennas and combined with waveguiding layers even outperform RF designs. This work paves the way for optical on-chip data communication that is not restricted by Joule heating but also for advanced light management in nanoscale sensing and metrology as well as light emitting devices.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-14011-6

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