Polarization‐Engineered Near‐Field Generation Using a Hybrid Tip–Antenna System

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Authors: Zhenbing Dai, Xinzhong Chen, Zijian Zhou, Lukas Wehmeier, Xiaoji G. Xu, Mengkun K. Liu
Cited by: 0
References: 30

Abstract

Precise control of light polarization at the nanoscale is critical for accessing chiral optical responses and manipulating spin-photon interactions in advanced materials. Yet, conventional scattering-type near-field probes predominantly generate out-of-plane linear polarization and offer little control over phase or polarization state. Here, we introduce a polarization-engineered near-field methodology based on a combined metallic tip and planar dipole nanoantenna system. Using full-wave electromagnetic simulations, we show that the tip acts as a vertically oriented plasmonic resonator, while the antenna supports an in-plane dipolar mode. By tuning the tip-antenna geometry and tip height, the two orthogonal field components attain comparable amplitudes and a controllable ∼90° phase offset, producing circularly polarized nano-light in the antenna gap. The proposed system effectively functions as a nanoscale quarter-wave plate, converting linearly polarized illumination into circularly polarized hotspots without external polarization optics. This method establishes an experimentally accessible route toward polarization-programmable near-field nanoscopy, enabling chiral spectroscopy, selective excitation of spin/valley degrees of freedom, and quantum optical investigations at the nanoscale.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Plasmonic and Surface Plasmon Research Near-Field Optical Microscopy Orbital Angular Momentum in Optics

Publication details

Journal / source
Small Methods
Volume
10
Issue
5
Pages
e02406–e02406
Publication date
4 February 2026
Language
EN