ABSTRACT
Quantum emitters such as NV-centers or quantum dots can be used as single-photon sources. To improve their performance, they can be coupled to microcavities or nano-antennas. Plasmonic antennas offer an appealing solution as they can be used with broadband emitters. When properly designed, these antennas funnel light into useful modes, increasing the emission rate and the collection of single-photons. Yet, their inherent metallic losses are responsible for very low radiative efficiencies. Here, we introduce a new design of directional, metallo-dielectric, optical antennas with a Purcell factor of 150, a total efficiency of 74% and a collection efficiency of emitted photons of 99%.
ABSTRACT
We experimentally demonstrate the control of the spontaneous emission rate and the radiation pattern of colloidal quantum dots deterministically positioned in a plasmonic patch antenna. The antenna consists of a thin gold microdisk separated from a planar gold layer by a few tens of nanometers thick dielectric layer. The emitters are shown to radiate through the entire patch antenna in a highly directional and vertical radiation pattern. Strong acceleration of spontaneous emission is observed, depending on the antenna geometry. Considering the double dipole structure of the emitters, this corresponds to a Purcell factor up to 80 for dipoles perpendicular to the disk.