An N-port network model for nanoantennas

Although the full wave analysis of a nanoantenna provides the complete description of the electromagnetic fields at all space points, this precision comes at the cost of intrinsic and intuitive understanding. The latter can be a very powerful guide for the design of nanoantennas but requires a set of physically meaningful parameters. To obtain such a set, we pursue a “black-box” network model. This network is characterized by impedance parameters, which are widely used to guide the design of electronic circuits. By revealing the parameters´ crucial role in shaping the nanoantenna´s plasmonic response, we establish a global and more intuitive roadmap for the analysis and design of nanoantennas.