Highly directional bottom-up 3D nanoantenna for visible light

Abstract

Controlling light at the nanoscale is of fundamental importance and is essential for applications ranging from optical sensing and metrology to information processing, communications, and quantum optics. Considerable efforts are currently directed towards optical nanoantennas that directionally convert light into strongly localized energy and vice versa. Here we present highly directional 3D nanoantenna operating with visible light. We demonstrate a simple bottom-up approach to produce macroscopic arrays of such nanoantennas and present a way to address their functionality via interaction with quantum dots (QDs), properly embedded in the structure of the nanoantenna. The ease and accessibility of this structurally robust optical antenna device prompts its use as an affordable test bed for concepts in nano-optics and nanophotonics applications.