Theoretical work has identified a new type of hybrid nanoresonator akin to a loaded-gap antenna, wherein the gap between two collinearly aligned metal nanorods is filled with active dielectric material. The gap optical load has a profound impact on resonances supported by such a “nanogap” antenna, and thus provides opportunity for (i) active modulation of the antenna resonance and (ii) delivery of substantial energy to the gap material. To this end, we have (i) used a bottom-up technique to fabricate nanogap antennas (Au/CdS/Au); (ii) characterized the optical modes of individual antennas with polarization- and wavevector-controlled dark-field microscopy; (iii) mapped the spatial profiles of the dominant modes with electron energy loss spectroscopy and imaging; and (iv) utilized full-wave finite-difference time-domain simulations to reveal the nanoscopic origin of the radiating modes supported on such nanogap antennas.
In addition to conventional transverse and longitudinal resonances, these loaded nanogap antennas support a unique symmetry-forbidden gap-localized transverse mode arising from the splitting of degenerate transverse modes located on the two gap faces. This previously unobserved mode is strong (E2 enhanced ~20), tightly localized in the nanoscopic (~30 nm separation) gap region, and is shown to red-shift with decreased gap size and increased gap dielectric constant. In fact, the mode is highly suppressed in air-gapped structures which may explain its absence from the literature to date. Understanding the complex modal structure supported on hybrid nanosystems is necessary to enable the multi-functional components many seek.
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