Hybrid nanophotonics

Advances in the field of plasmonics, i.e., nano„photonics exploiting the optical properties of metal nanostructures, paved the way for the development of ultrasensitive devices, including biological and various other sensors whose operation is based on the nanoscale localization of the electromagnetic field. However, the high dissipation loss of metal nanostructures limits their use in many current applications, including metasurfaces, metamaterials, and nanowaveguides, thus requiring the development of new devices that combine metal nanostructures with highly refractive dielectric nanoparticles. The resulting metal–dielectric (hybrid) nanostructures have demonstrated many interesting properties from the practical application standpoint (moderate dissipation loss, resonant magnetooptical response, strong nonlinear optical properties, etc.), thus placing this field at the vanguard of the modern science of light. We review the current state of theoretical and experimental research into hybrid metal–dielectric nanoantennas and their derivative nanostructures capable of selectively scattering light waves, directionally amplifying and transmitting optical signals, controlling the propagation of such signals, and generating optical harmonics.