Fabrication and characterization of active plasmonic antennas

We present a bottom-up approach to fabricate single active optical antennas as well as antenna arrays consisting of semiconductor quantum dots and plasmonic nanostructures. It is based on a two-step lithographic process in combination with chemical functionalization of the substrate and allows for the deposition of quantum dots with high accuracy relative to arbitrary metal nanostructures. Examples of such active optical antennas are presented and proof of their functionality via polarization measurements is given.