Nanoantenna-enhanced optical heterodyning and photoemission devices

We propose the use of optical nanoantennas for new-generation photonic nanodevices. We report the design and realization of enhanced optoelectronic photomixers taking advantage of the strong field localization and enhancement at the nanoantenna gap. We achieve high-power THz photomixers based on field-emission nanodiodes integrated with nanomanipulated conical antennas or clusters of nanobowtie antennas. We also demonstrate high quantum-efficiency phototriodes based on cross-slot nanoantennas forming the gate-electrode aperture.