Optical nanoantenna input impedance

Reviews and Highlights	Quantum Science	Molecular and Soft-matter	Ultrafast Nano-optics and Nanophotonics	Mineralogy and Geochemistry

Yuancheng Xu, Eric Tucker, Glenn Boreman, Markus B. Raschke, and Brian A. Lail
ACS Photonics 3, 881 (2016).
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Optical nanoantennas have been studied as a means to manipulate nanoscale fields, local field enhancements, radiative rates, and emissive directional control. However, a fundamental function of antennas, the transfer of power between a coupled load and far-field radiation, has seen limited development in optical antennas owing largely to the inherent challenges of extracting impedance parameters from fabricated designs. As the transitional element between radiating fields and loads, the impedance is the requisite information for describing, and designing optimally, both emissive (transmitting) and absorptive (receiving) nanoantennas. Here we present the first measurement of an optical nanoantenna input impedance, demonstrating impedance multiplication in folded dipoles at infrared frequencies. This quantification of optical antenna impedance provides the long sought enabling step for a systematic approach to improve collection efficiencies and control of the overall antenna response.