Place a double-column figure right underneath the title

Question

I am trying to place a double-column figure (presumably using figure*) in an IEEE template, which is double-columned, right underneath the title, just as the teaser for our paper. While this may seem a duplicate problem for this, this and this, there are differences between my question and theirs:

1. For this, I am using the IEEE template, and thus I am unable to use \end{multicols} directly. But I do appreciate if someone knows a way to end the double-column environment for this figure and resume the double-column style below.

2. For this, it forces the figures to go on top of the page.

3. For this, while it is discouraged from placing a double-column figure at the bottom (or elsewhere in the middle) of a page, what I am trying to do is to place the figure right below the title, which is almost at the top except that the title goes first. And since the title is not in the double-column format, maybe there is a way to separate these two sections and place the figure at the top of the double-column section.

Answer 1

This code will insert a centered figure (of any width) after the authors.

% !TeX TS-program = xelatex
\documentclass[journal]{IEEEtran}
\usepackage{kantlipsum}% ONLY dummy text
%************************************* added <<<<<<<<<<<<<
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{etoolbox}
\newcommand{\insertfig}{\includegraphics[width=\linewidth, height=100pt]{example-image}}% define the image
\makeatletter
\apptocmd{@maketitle}{\centering\insertfig}{}{}% insert the figure after authors
\makeatother
%*************************************
\begin{document}
\title{Teaser image for our \ IEEE Journals paper}
\author{Simon~Smith,~\IEEEmembership{Member,~IEEE,}
        John~Doe,~\IEEEmembership{Fellow,~OSA,}
        and~Jane~Doe,~\IEEEmembership{Life~Fellow,~IEEE}}%
\maketitle
\begin{abstract}
\kant[1]
\end{abstract}
\begin{IEEEkeywords}
IEEE, IEEEtran, journal, \LaTeX, paper, template.
\end{IEEEkeywords}
\section{Introduction}
\kant[2-3]
\section{Method}
\kant[3-4]
\section{Conclusion}
\kant[5]
\end{document}

To insert the figure after the title it suffices to use, for example:

\title{Teaser image for our \\ IEEE Journals paper \\ \bigskip \insertfig}