Realization of near-field linear nano-polarizer by asymmetric nanoaperture and bowtie nanoantenna.

We present a linear nano-polarizer composed of asymmetric nanoaperture and bowtie nanoantenna, which provides a new way to freely control the polarization azimuth of the translated optical field in the near-field. It can not only generate large localized field enhancement and outstanding spatial confinement, but also maintain the polarization azimuth of linearly polarized optical field excited by arbitrary linearly, circularly or elliptically polarized lights. The response wavelength of the linear nano-polarizer can be easily tuned in a wide range by adjusting the geometrical parameters of asymmetric nanoaperture. This offers a further step in developing integrated optical devices for polarization manipulation.