Control of single emitter radiation by polarization- and position-dependent activation of dark antenna modes.

We study the modification of the decay rates of a single dipolar emitter positioned in the vicinity of metallic linear nanoantennas when higher-order plasmonic excitations are induced. We show that it is possible to effectively tune the enhancement or suppression of both the radiative and nonradiative decay processes by controlling the position and orientation of the dipole with respect to the antenna. Transverse polarization of a single emitter, with respect to the antenna axis, located at the center of the antenna activates dark antenna modes that modify dramatically both the intensity and the spectral features of the decay rates.