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The optimal antenna for nonlinear spectroscopy of weakly and strongly scattering nanoobjects

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Abstract

Optical nanoantennas, i.e., arrangements of plasmonic nanostructures, promise to enhance the light–matter interaction on the nanoscale. In particular, nonlinear optical spectroscopy of single nanoobjects would profit from such an antenna, as nonlinear optical effects are already weak for bulk material, and become almost undetectable for single nanoobjects. We investigate the design of optical nanoantennas for transient absorption spectroscopy in two different cases: the mechanical breathing mode of a metal nanodisk and the quantum-confined carrier dynamics in a single CdSe nanowire. In the latter case, an antenna with a resonance at the desired wavelength optimally increases the light intensity at the nanoobject. In the first case, the perturbation of the antenna by the investigated nanosystem cannot be neglected and off-resonant antennas become most efficient.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge financial support from the DFG (SPP 1391, ultrafast nanooptics).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Experimental Physics III, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany

    Thorsten Schumacher, Matthias Brandstetter, Daniela Wolf & Markus Lippitz

  2. Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Heisenbergstrasse 1, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany

    Thorsten Schumacher, Matthias Brandstetter, Daniela Wolf, Kai Kratzer, Mario Hentschel & Markus Lippitz

  3. 4th Physics Institute and Research Center SCoPE, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70550, Stuttgart, Germany

    Thorsten Schumacher, Matthias Brandstetter, Daniela Wolf, Kai Kratzer, Mario Hentschel, Harald Giessen & Markus Lippitz

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  1. Thorsten Schumacher
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  2. Matthias Brandstetter
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  3. Daniela Wolf
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  4. Kai Kratzer
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  6. Harald Giessen
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  7. Markus Lippitz
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Correspondence to Thorsten Schumacher.

Additional information

This article is part of the topical collection “Ultrafast Nanooptics” guest edited by Martin Aeschlimann and Walter Pfeiffer.

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Schumacher, T., Brandstetter, M., Wolf, D. et al. The optimal antenna for nonlinear spectroscopy of weakly and strongly scattering nanoobjects. Appl. Phys. B 122, 91 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-016-6364-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-016-6364-5

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