Multiphysics simulation for the optimization of optical nanoantennas working as distributed bolometers in the infrared

The electric currents induced by infrared radiation incident on optical antennas and resonant structures increase their temperature through Joule heating as well as change their electric resistance through the bolometric effect. As the thermo-electric mechanism exists throughout a distributed bolometer, a multiphysics approach was adopted to analyze thermal, electrical, and electromagnetic effects in a dipole antenna functioning as a resonant distributed bolometer. The finite element method was used for electromagnetic and thermal considerations. The results showed that bolometric performance depends on the choice of materials, the geometry of the resonant structure, the thickness of an insulating layer, and the characteristics of a bias circuit. Materials with large skin depth and small thermal conductivity are desirable. The thickness of the SiO2 insulating layer should not exceed 1.2 μm, and a current source for the bias circuit enhances performance. An optimized device designed with the previously stated design rules provides a response increase of two orders of magnitude compared to previously reported devices using the same dipole geometry. © The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI. [DOI: 10.1117/1.JNP.7.073093]