Ultralong phase-correlated networks of plasmonic nanoantennas coherently driven by photonic modes

Abstract

We study coherently-stimulated plasmonic dipoles and their phase-correlated coupling, offering ultralong coherent networks of metallic nanoantennas. This is done by considering Au nanoislands with random sizes and shapes placed in close vicinity of each other in a strip with long length and nanoscale width. The positions of the nanoislands in such a strip fluctuate, forming a one-dimensional disordered array. We demonstrate that once such a structure is periodically repeated such that the Rayleigh anomaly condition is satisfied, the photonic lattice modes can drive the plasmon modes of the nanoislands at frequencies dictated by such modes. This allows the nanoislands to act as nano-scale antennas that are excited in phase and are coupled to the neighboring nanoantennas coherently over distances far larger than the sizes of the individual nanoislands. Under these conditions the disordered array acts as a network wherein coherent specifications are distributed in scales far longer than those of the individual nanoislands.