Spectrally and Spatially Configurable Superlenses for Optoplasmonic Nanocircuits

TL;DR

This paper introduces optoplasmonic superlenses that enhance energy transfer and light concentration in nanocircuits, enabling advanced functionalities like sensing, amplification, and switching at the nanoscale.

Contribution

The work presents a novel design of optoplasmonic superlenses combining microcavities and nanoantennas for improved energy transfer and nanoconcentration in plasmonic nanocircuits.

Findings

Significant enhancement of emitter radiative rates.

Efficient long-range photon transfer and focusing.

Versatile applications in sensing and switching.

Abstract

Energy transfer between photons and molecules and between neighboring molecules is ubiquitous in living nature, most prominently in photosynthesis. While energy transfer is efficiently utilized by living systems, its adoption to connect individual components in man-made plasmonic nanocircuits has been challenged by low transfer efficiencies which motivate the development of entirely new concepts for energy transfer. We introduce herein optoplasmonic superlenses that combine the capability of optical microcavities to insulate molecule-photon systems from decohering environmental effects with the superior light nanoconcentration properties of nanoantennas. The proposed structures provide significant enhancement of the emitter radiative rate and efficient long-range transfer of emitted photons followed by subsequent re-focusing into nanoscale volumes accessible to near- and far-field detection. Optoplasmonic superlenses are versatile building blocks for optoplasmonic nanocircuits and can be used to construct "dark" single molecule sensors, resonant amplifiers, nanoconcentrators, frequency multiplexers, demultiplexers, energy converters and dynamical switches.