Angle-resolved polarimetry of antenna-mediated fluorescence

Optical phase-array antennas can be used to control not only the angular distribution but also the polarization of fluorescence from quantum emitters. The emission pattern of the resulting system is determined by the properties of the antenna, the properties of the emitters, and the strength of the antenna-emitter coupling. Here we show that Fourier polarimetry can be used to characterize these three contributions. To this end, we measure the angle- and Stokes-parameter-resolved emission of bullseye plasmon antennas as well as spiral antennas excited by an ensemble of emitters. We estimate the average antenna-emitter coupling on the basis of the degree of polarization and determine the effect of anisotropy in the intrinsic emitter orientation on polarization of the resulting emission pattern. Our results provide not only new insights into the behavior of bullseye and spiral antennas but also demonstrate the potential of Fourier polarimetry when characterizing antenna-mediated fluorescence.