# US 11,079,523 B2 · Device and method for shielding at least one sub-wavelength-scale object from an incident electromagnetic wave > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,079,523 B2 - Document ID: US11079523B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/342,080 - Filed: 2017-10-20 - Published: 2019-08-15 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2016-10-21 - Assignees: InterDigital CE Patent Holdings, SAS - Applicants: InterDigital CE Patent Holdings - Inventors: Artem Boriskin; Mitra Damghanian; Laurent Blonde - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079523B2 ## CPC - G02B 5/203: {having holographic or diffractive elements (diffraction gratings per se G02B5/18; holographic elements per se G02B5/32; generating the spectrum using diffraction elements G01J3/18)} - G02B 27/56: Optics using evanescent waves, i.e. inhomogeneous waves - H05K 9/0081: {Electromagnetic shielding materials, e.g. EMI, RFI shielding (H05K9/0003 takes precedence)} - G02B 2207/101: Nanooptics - G02B 2207/121: Antistatic or EM shielding layer - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ## Abstract A device for shielding a sub-wavelength-scale object from an electromagnetic wave incident on the device. The device includes a layer of dielectric material, a surface of which has a change of level forming a step. The step is in contact with a medium having a refractive index that is lower than a refractive index of the dielectric material. The sub-wavelength-scale object is located within the device in a quiet zone where an electromagnetic field intensity is below a threshold, the quiet zone extending above said surface, in a vicinity of the step, in a direction of incidence of said incident electromagnetic wave. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device for shielding a sub-wavelength-scale object from an electromagnetic wave incident on said device, according to a direction of incidence, said device comprising: a layer of dielectric material, a surface of which has a change of level forming a step, said dielectric material having a first refractive index; and a medium having a second refractive index that is lower than the first refractive index of said dielectric material, wherein the medium is in contact with said step, and wherein said sub-wavelength-scale object is located within said device in a quiet zone extending above said surface, in a vicinity of said step, in a same direction as the direction of incidence of said incident electromagnetic wave. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein said step is formed by an edge of a groove made in said layer of dielectric material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein said step is formed by an edge of a cavity made in said layer of dielectric material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The device of claim 3, wherein said quiet zone extends partially inside said cavity and above said cavity in the direction of incidence of said incident electromagnetic wave. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The device of claim 3, wherein said cavity belongs to a set of at least two cavities. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The device of claim 3, wherein said cavity is targeted to be cylindrical or cone-shaped. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The device of claim 3, wherein a dimension of said cavity, in the direction of incidence of said incident electromagnetic wave and in any direction orthogonal to the direction of incidence of said incident electromagnetic wave, is between a fraction of a wavelength of said incident electromagnetic wave in said dielectric material and a few wavelengths of said incident electromagnetic wave in said dielectric material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein said device further comprises a layer forming a substrate abutting said layer of dielectric material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The device of claim 8, wherein said device further comprises a layer forming a superstrate, said layer of dielectric material being between said substrate and said superstrate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9, wherein said layer forming said substrate and said layer forming said superstrate are made of a same dielectric material as that of said layer of dielectric material. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The device of claim 10, wherein said dielectric material is selected from the group consisting of: (i) glass, (ii) plastic, (iii) a polymer material, (iv) an organic optically transparent conductive oxide in which plasmonic effect does not occur, and (v) an inorganic optically transparent conductive oxide in which plasmonic effect does not occur. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The device of claim 10, wherein a material of one of or more of said superstrate and said substrate is selected from the group consisting of: (i) glass, (ii) plastic, (iii) a polymer material, (iv) a semiconductor material, (v) a liquid, (vi) an organic optically transparent electrically conducting material in which plasmonic effect does not occur, and (vii) an inorganic optically transparent electrically conducting material in which plasmonic effect does not occur, and (viii) a gas. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein said sub-wavelength object is selected from the group consisting of (i) a quantum dot, (ii) a plasmonic particle, (iii) a fluorescent dye, (iv) an organic element, and (v) a nanostructure. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of electromagnetic waves is incident on said device, and said quiet zone associated with said device corresponds to a zone being at an intersection of quiet zones associated with said plurality of electromagnetic waves, wherein each of said plurality of electromagnetic waves is associated with a respective wavelength. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein said medium is a vacuum, a solid, a gas, or a liquid. ### Claim 16 A method for manufacturing a device for shielding a sub-wavelength-scale object from an electromagnetic wave, comprising: forming a layer of dielectric material, a surface of which has a change of level forming a step, said dielectric material having a first refractive index; placing said step in contact with a medium having a second refractive index lower than that the first refractive index of said dielectric material; and locating a sub-wavelength-scale object in a quiet zone above said surface, in a vicinity of said step, in a direction of incidence of an electromagnetic wave. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein said step is formed by forming a cavity in said layer of dielectric material. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein said medium having the second refractive index is present inside said cavity. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising forming at least one layer making up a substrate, wherein forming said layer of dielectric material includes depositing said layer of dielectric material on said substrate. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising forming at least one layer making up a superstrate, said layer of dielectric material being formed between said substrate and said superstrate.