Pitch-dependent resonances and near-field coupling in infrared nanoantenna arrays

We investigate coupling in arrays of nanoparticles resonating as half-wave antennas on both silicon and sapphire, and find a universal behavior when scaled by antenna length and substrate index. Three distinct coupling regimes are identified and characterized by rigorous finite-difference time domain simulations. As interparticle pitch is reduced below the oft-described radiative to evanescent transition, resonances blue shift and narrow and exhibit an asymmetric band consistent with a Fano lineshape. Upon further pitch reduction, a transition to a third regime, termed here as near-field coupling, is observed in which the resonance shifts red, becomes more symmetric, and broadens dramatically. This latter regime occurs when the extension of the resonant mode beyond the physical antenna end overlaps that of its neighbor. Simulations identify a clear rearrangement of field intensity accompanying this regime, illustrating that longitudinal modal fields localize in the air gap rather than in the higher index substrate at a pitch consistent with the experimentally observed transition. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America