Nanoscale plasmonic contour bowtie antenna operating in the mid-infrared

A plasmonic antenna design is proposed and investigated numerically over a large parameter space. By considering the contour of a bowtie antenna and introducing an additional design parameter, the contour thickness, it is demonstrated that the resonant wavelength of the antenna may be tuned over a broad spectral range while maintaining a constant antenna footprint. These new antennas allow for a factor of 3.6 reduction in the antenna footprint and an increase in the gap enhancement by 28%. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America