US 2010/0072397 A1 · SUB WAVELENGTH APERTURE

Abstract

There is provided a method of detecting a presence of a luminophore in a detection volume comprising providing excitation radiation in said detection volume. A luminophore is provided in said detection volume being excitable by said excitation radiation. The luminescent radiation is detected to identify the presence of said luminophore in said detection volume. In one aspect of the invention, said luminophore is selected to emit luminescent radiation having a wavelength in said medium that is larger than twice said smallest dimension; and wherein said luminophore is selected to be excitable by excitation radiation having a wavelength in said medium that is smaller than twice said smallest dimension. Accordingly, luminescent radiation is blocked from entering the detector but for the portion present on an interface of the aperture.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of detecting a presence of a luminophore (5,6) in a detection volume (101), comprising:

providing excitation radiation (3) in said detection volume (101);
providing a luminophore (5,6) in a medium in said detection volume (101), the luminophore (5,6) being excitable by said excitation radiation (3) to emit luminescent radiation (4);
and
detecting at least a polarization component of said luminescent radiation (4) through an aperture (1) of said detection volume (101) by a detector (10), said aperture (1) having a smallest in plane dimension (102);
wherein said luminophore (5,6) is selected to emit luminescent radiation (4) having a wavelength in said medium that is larger than twice said smallest dimension;
and wherein said luminophore (5,6) is selected to be excitable by excitation radiation (3) having a wavelength in said medium that is smaller than twice said smallest dimension.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Sub wavelength aperture

Life of this patent

Sub wavelength aperture

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20