High temperature near-field probe for sensing and energy harvesting applications based upon thermal emission

A near-field probe compatible with near-infrared electromagnetic radiation, comprising:

• an optical fiber having a core, wherein a first portion of the core is surrounded by cladding and a second portion of the core is not surrounded by cladding;
• and
• a photonic thermal emitting structure separate from and directly connected to the core by being wrapped around the second portion of the core, wherein the photonic thermal emitting structure is structured and configured to emit near-field energy responsive to at least one environmental parameter of interest, wherein the near-field probe is structured and configured to enable extraction of the near-field energy to a far-field by coupling the near-field energy into one or more guided modes of the optical waveguide, wherein the photonic thermal emitting structure comprises a thin-film gold nanostructure layer having a plurality of gold nanostructures, wherein the thin-film gold nanostructure layer is wrapped around an outer surface of the second portion of the core but does not contact an end face of the core.

A near-field energy extraction method compatible with near-infrared electromagnetic radiation and using an optical fiber having a core, wherein a first portion of the core is surrounded by cladding and a second portion of the core is not surrounded by cladding, the method comprising:

• emitting near-field energy responsive to at least one environmental parameter of interest from a photonic thermal emitting structure separate from and directly connected to the core by being wrapped around the second portion of the core, wherein the photonic thermal emitting structure comprises a thin-film gold nanostructure layer having a plurality of gold nanostructures, wherein the thin-film gold nanostructure layer is wrapped around an outer surface of the second portion of the core but does not contact an end face of the core;
• and
• extracting the near-field energy to a far field by coupling the near-field energy from the photonic thermal emitting structure into one or more guided modes of the optical fiber.