Strong near field enhancement in THz nano-antenna arrays

Abstract

A key issue in modern photonics is the ability to concentrate light into very small volumes, thus enhancing its interaction with quantum objects of sizes much smaller than the wavelength. In the microwave domain, for many years this task has been successfully performed by antennas, built from metals that can be considered almost perfect at these frequencies. Antenna-like concepts have been recently extended into the THz and up to the visible, however metal losses increase and limit their performances. In this work we experimentally study the light coupling properties of dense arrays of subwavelength THz antenna microcavities. We demonstrate that the combination of array layout with subwavelength electromagnetic confinement allows for 10 ⁴-fold enhancement of the electromagnetic energy density inside the cavities, despite the low quality factor of a single element. This effect is quantitatively described by an analytical model that can be applied for the optimization of any nanoantenna array.