Sensors employing nanoparticles and microcavities
AssigneeNew Mexico State University Technology Transfer Corporation
InventorsRobert L. Armstrong, Vladimir M. Shalaev, Harold V. Smith
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Abstract
An optical sensing enhancing material (and corresponding method of making) comprising: a medium, the medium comprising a plurality of aggregated nanoparticles comprising fractals; and a microcavity, wherein the medium is located in a vicinity of the microcavity. Also an optical sensor and sensing method comprising: providing a doped medium, the medium comprising a plurality of aggregated nanoparticles comprising fractals, with the material; locating the doped medium in the vicinity of a microcavity; exciting the doped medium with a light source; and detecting light reflected from the doped medium.
Claims21
An optical sensing enhancing material comprising:
- a medium, said medium comprising a plurality of aggregated nanoparticles comprising fractals;
- and
- a microcavity, wherein said medium is located in a vicinity of said microcavity.
A method of making an optical sensing enhancing material, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a microcavity;
- and
- providing to a vicinity of the microcavity a plurality of aggregated nanoparticles comprising fractals.
An optical sensor comprising:
- a medium, said medium comprising a plurality of aggregated nanoparticles comprising fractals;
- a microcavity, wherein said medium is located in a vicinity of said microcavity;
- a light source incident on said medium;
- and
- a detector of light reflected from said medium.
An optical sensing method comprising the steps of;
- providing a doped medium, the medium comprising a plurality of aggregated nanoparticles comprising fractals, with a material;
- locating the doped medium in the vicinity of a microcavity;
- exciting the doped medium with a light source;
- and
- detecting light reflected from said doped medium.
A method of detecting a material, the method comprising the steps of:
- exciting both the material and a medium in a vicinity of a microcavity, the medium comprising a plurality of aggregated nanoparticles comprising fractals, with at least one light source;
- detecting spectroscopic data of the material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.