title: Excitation of plasmonic nanoantennas by nonresonant and resonant electron tunnelling.
abstract: A rigorous theory of photon emission generated by inelastic electron tunnelling inside the gap of plasmonic nanoantennas is developed. The disappointingly low efficiency of the electrical excitation of surface plasmon polaritons in these structures can be increased by orders of magnitude when a resonant tunnelling structure is incorporated inside the gap. A resonant tunnelling assisted surface plasmon emitter may become a key element in future electrically-driven plasmonic nanocircuits.
authors.affiliation: P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr. 53, 119991 Moscow, Russia. alexusk@lebedev.ru.
authors.forename: Alexander V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Uskov
authors.forename: Jacob B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Khurgin
authors.forename: Igor E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Protsenko
authors.forename: Igor V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Smetanin
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bouhelier