Plasmonic laser antenna

TLDR

The plasmonic laser antenna is potentially useful for near‑field optical microscopy, optical data storage, and heat‑assisted magnetic recording. The device can be integrated into a wide range of semiconductor lasers, from visible to far‑infrared, including quantum cascade lasers. The authors demonstrated a plasmonic laser antenna that integrates a resonant optical antenna on a commercial diode laser facet, producing enhanced, spatially confined near fields with spot sizes of only a few tens of nanometers at ~0.8 µm.

Abstract

The authors have demonstrated a surface plasmon device composed of a resonant optical antenna integrated on the facet of a commercial diode laser, termed a plasmonic laser antenna. This device generates enhanced and spatially confined optical near fields. Spot sizes of a few tens of nanometers have been measured at a wavelength ∼0.8μm. This device can be implemented in a wide variety of semiconductor lasers emitting in spectral regions ranging from the visible to the far infrared, including quantum cascade lasers. It is potentially useful in many applications including near-field optical microscopes, optical data storage, and heat-assisted magnetic recording.