Abstract: We present results of mesurments of the polarization response of asymetric spiral antennas coupled Ni-NiO-Ni diodes, over the wavelength range 10.2 to 10.7 μm. The feed structure of the antenna imposes an elliptical polarization singature that is different from the circular polarization expected from a symmetric spiral. We develop a lossy-transmission-line model yielding the measured polarization response. A combination of a balanced and an unbalanced mode is required. Reflected current waves from the arm ends are significant.

Abstract: A critical challenge for the convergence of optics and electronics is that the micrometre scale of optics is significantly larger than the nanometre scale of modern electronic devices. In the conversion from photons to electrons by photodetectors, this size incompatibility often leads to substantial penalties in power dissipation, area, latency and noise. A photodetector can be made smaller by using a subwavelength active region; however, this can result in very low responsivity because of the diffraction limit of the light. Here we exploit the idea of a half-wave Hertz dipole antenna (length approx 380 nm) from radio waves, but at near-infrared wavelengths (length approx 1.3 microm), to concentrate radiation into a nanometre-scale germanium photodetector. This gives a polarization contrast of a factor of 20 in the resulting photocurrent in the subwavelength germanium element, which has an active volume of 0.00072 microm3, a size that is two orders of magnitude smaller than previously demonstrated detectors at such wavelengths.

Abstract: This article provides a review of early work and developments in the field of near-field optics. The roots trace back to the letters exchanged between Edward Hutchinson Synge and Albert Einstein in 1928 and, because of the analogy to antenna theory and lightning rods, the origins project back to the time of Benjamin Franklin who discovered the wonderful Effect of Points both in drawing off and throwing off the Electrical Fire. The modern interest was mainly inspired by the invention of scanning probe microscopy and by the first optical near-field measurements by Dieter W. Pohl and co-workers at the IBM Research Laboratory in R¨uschlikon, Switzerland, and also by parallel developments of other groups. Near-field optics received inspiration from the fields of surface enhanced spectroscopy and from studies of energy transfer. While optical near-fields were extensively exploited for overcoming the diffraction limit in optical imaging the study of their physical aspects revealed unique properties which cannot be imitated by free propagating radiation.