Enhancing Weak Optical Signals Using a Plasmonic Yagi—Uda Nanoantenna Array

Abstract

Nanoantennas have been used in a wide range of applications in sensing, spectroscopy, and imaging-in general, the antennas can enhance physical phenomena such as the local electric field or concentrate light in a certain direction. We have fabricated an array of 80 plasmonic Yagi-Uda nanoantennas on the cladding of an optical fiber and, by doing this, we show that the signal reaching the fast detector can be increased by a factor of 5 dB. The experiment demonstrates that plasmonic directive nanoantennas can indeed collect and concentrate electromagnetic radiation along a certain direction and eventually could be used to enhance weak signals.

Plasmonic nanoantenna hydrophones

“…In IVPA imaging, an optical fibre is used to deliver light to a remote location inside a blood vessel. Because plasmonic NA’s can be coupled with optical fibres 10 11 , we envision that a single ultrasound-sensitive NA, or an array of such NA’s, can be integrated with a fibre used in IVPA imaging [ Fig. 1(b) ].…”

Design and Analysis of Nanoantenna Arrays for Imaging and Sensing Applications at Optical Frequencies

“…In addition, u represents the domain that is sharing the interface with domain u, at which the testing operation is applied. Electromagnetic interactions (discretized operators) are derived as (6) where t m and b n represent testing and basis functions, ξ n,u , ξ m,u = ±1 represent orientations of testing/basis functions with respect to domain u, while the integrodifferential operators can be written as…”

“…Thanks to their extensive ability of trapping and focusing electromagnetic waves in subwavelength regions, nanoantennas have been among the most attractive of such metallic structures to manipulate light [2]. Plasmonic nanoantennas can be used in many applications, such as energy harvesting [3,4], nano-optical focusing [5,6], nano-optical wireless networks [7,8], as well as bio-sensing [9,10,11,12]. As shown in this study, nanoantennas can be excellent tools to detect metallic and dielectric nanoparticles for imaging and sensing applications.…”

Optimization of Modified Yagi-Uda Nanoantenna Arrays Using Adaptive Fuzzy GAPSO

“…Also, these antennas can provide higher coupling between optical fields and nanoplasmonic waveguides [5,6]. In [7], Mironov et al fabricated an array of 80 YU nanoantennas on the coating of an optical fiber. is antenna was fed by a Gaussian beam and its radiation was optimized at λ � 1060 nm, where the authors obtained an increase in directivity around 5 dB.…”