Quantum Antennas

Abstract

Due to the recent groundbreaking developments of nanotechnologies, it became possible to create intrinsically quantum systems able to serve as high-directional antennas in terahertz, infrared, and optical ranges. In fact, the quantum antennas, as devices shaping light on the level of single quanta, have already become key elements in nanooptics and nanoelectronics. The quantum antennas are actively researched for possible implementations in quantum communications, quantum imaging and sensing, and energy harvesting. However, the design and optimization of these emitting/receiving devices are still rather undeveloped in comparison with the well-known methods for conventional radio-frequency antennas. This review provides a discussion of the recent achievements in the concept of the quantum antenna as an open quantum system emitting via interaction with a photonic reservoir. The review is focused on bridging the gap between quantum antennas and their macroscopic classical analogues. Furthermore, the way of quantum-antenna implementation is discussed for different configurations, based on such materials as plasmonic metals, carbon nanotubes, and semiconductor quantum dots.

An Open Dynamical System Approach to Dissipative Quantum Dot Array Antennas

“…Therefore, L plays the role of the infinitesimal generator of stochastic evolution in the open dynamics of quantum systems. 5 Under some general but standard assumptions, 6 it can be shown that the following master equation is the most general one that can lead to trace-preserving and completely positive evolution of the density operator 7 [15], [24]:…”

“…Quantum antenna theory is an emerging new field within the larger area of quantum technologies [1], [2] and optical antennas [3], [4], itself part of quantum engineering [5]. The main objective of quantum antenna theory is to understand the fundamental principles of quantum antennas relative to classical antennas [6], [7].…”

“…Classical antennas are often used for applications mainly wireless communications [8], [9]. On the other hand, quantum antennas not only can support the transmitting and receiving terminals of quantum communications [10], [11], but moreover, due to the inherent richness of quantum radiation phenomena, a quantum antenna system can be used for a wide range of other applications such as bio-sensing, photonic energy devices, quantum imaging and tomography, and high-speed computing chip design [5], [12].…”

Forbidden Radiation Angles of Quantum Antennas

“…Quantum systems consisting of a set of quantum emitters, i.e., quantum antennae, have recently attracted great interest [1]. A quantum formalism must be used to describe such systems because quantum antennae possess several specifi cs atypical of classical analogs.…”

“…= kΔ sin φ 1 and (1) 2 ϕ = kΔ sin φ 2 that describe points where the correlation function [Eq. ( 14)] of the quantum antenna consisting of three and four atoms is equal to zero.…”