The goal of antenna design at optical frequencies is to deliver optical electromagnetic energy to loads in the form of, e.g., atoms, molecules or nanostructures, or to enhance the radiative emission from such structures, or both. A true optical antenna would, on a qualitatively new level, control the light-matter interaction on the nanoscale for controlled optical signal transduction, radiative...

Data capacity is rapidly reaching its limit in modern optical communications. Optical vortex has been explored to enhance the data capacity for its extra degree of freedom of angular momentum. In traditional means, optical vortices are generated using space light modulators or spiral phase plates, which would sharply decrease the integration of optical communication systems. Here we experimenta...

Optical antennas interface an object with optical radiation and boost the absorption and emission of light by the objects through the antenna modes. It has been much desired to enhance both excitation and emission processes of the quantum emitters as well as to interface multiwavelength channels for many nano-optical applications. Here we report the experimental implementation of an optical ant...

In this study, a new approach for simulation of electric field enhancement ofplane wave laser around optical antenna was used to convert free-propagating opticalradiation to localized energy. A tapered gold tip design as a novel geometry of opticalantenna is introduced and numerically analyzed based on particle swarm optimization(PSO) by solving the Maxwell equations wit...

We have fabricated nanometer-scale gold dipole antennas designed to be resonant at optical frequencies. On resonance, strong field enhancement in the antenna feed gap leads to white-light supercontinuum generation. The antenna length at resonance is considerably shorter than one-half the wavelength of the incident light. This is in contradiction to classical antenna theory but in qualitative ac...

Advanced satellite communications system needs large-scale satellite-borne antenna with a function of beam steering and/or multiple spot beams to cover wide service area with high antenna gain. Although phased array antenna is very useful for the feed for the large reflector to satisfy the requirements above, it generally causes increase in the equipment weight, feed loss, and complexity in bea...

nature photonics | VOL 5 | FEBRUARY 2011 | www.nature.com/naturephotonics 83 Optical antennas, analogues of microwave and radiowave antennas, are a new concept in physical optics1. They are an enabling technology for manipulating and controlling optical radiation at subwavelength scales2. Optical antennas are the subject of a growing number of scientific studies, and hold promise for enhancing ...

Optical antennas are key elements in quantum optics emitting and sensing, and behave wide range applications in optical domain. However, integration of optical antenna radiating orbital angular momentum is still a challenge in nano-scale. We theoretically demonstrate a sub-wavelength phased optical antenna array, which manipulates the distribution of the orbital angular momentum in the near fie...

Fractal antennas have undergone dramatic changes since they were first considered for wireless systems. Numerous advancements are developed both in the area of fractal shaped elements and fractal antenna array technology for fractal electrodynamics. This paper makes an attempt of applying the concept of fractal antenna array technology in the RF regime to optical antenna array technology in the...