Silicon Nanoantenna Mix Arrays for a Trifecta of Quantum Emitter Enhancements

TL;DR

This paper introduces a silicon nanoantenna array that significantly enhances absorption, emission directionality, and radiative decay rates of quantum emitters, promising advances in fluorescence applications.

Contribution

The study presents a novel silicon mix antenna array achieving trifecta enhancements with high Purcell factor, overcoming substrate fragility and low emission rate limitations of prior dielectric nanoantennas.

Findings

Achieved ~1200-fold enhancement in quantum emitter performance.

Realized Purcell factor of approximately 47.

Enabled directional emission and strong absorption within the array.

Abstract

Dielectric nanostructures have demonstrated optical antenna effects due to Mie resonances. Preliminary investigations on dielectric nanoantennas have been carried out for a trifecta of enhancements, i.e., simultaneous enhancements in absorption, emission directionality and radiative decay rates of quantum emitters. However, these investigations are limited by fragile substrates or low Purcell factor, which is extremely important for exciting quantum emitters electrically. In this paper, we present a Si mix antenna array to achieve the trifecta enhancement of ~1200 fold with a Purcell factor of ~47. The antenna design incorporates ~10 nm gaps within which fluorescent molecules strongly absorb the pump laser energy through a resonant mode. In the emission process, the antenna array increases the radiative decay rates of the fluorescence molecules via Purcell effect and provides directional emission through a separate mode. This work could lead to novel CMOS compatible platforms for enhancing fluorescence for biological and chemical applications.