Optical transmission apparatus with directionality and divergence control
AssigneesUniversite Louis Pasteur, Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique
InventorsHenri Joseph Lezec, Thomas Wren Ebbesen
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Abstract
An apparatus for emitting light with a controlled directionality and optical divergence from at least one opening includes a light impervious surface structure having the at least one opening, a periodic or quasi-periodic surface topography including one or several surface feature(s) and associated with the at least one opening on the surface structure, whereby light emerging from the opening(s) interacts with surface waves on the surface structure (20) thereby providing controlled directionality and optical divergence of the emitted light.
Claims31
Apparatus (10) for emitting light with a controlled directionality and optical divergence from at least one opening (30′;
- 122′), comprising:
- a light impervious surface structure (20;
- 120) comprising said at least one opening (30′;
- 122′),
- a periodic or quasi-periodic surface topography comprising one or several surface feature(s) (40;
- 123) and associated with said at least one opening on said surface structure, whereby light(IOUTPUT) emerging from said opening(s) (30′;
- 122′) interacts with surface waves on said surface structure (20;
- 120) thereby providing controlled directionality and optical divergence of the emitted light(IOUTPUT),
- characterised in that each of the at least one opening (30′;
- 122′) corresponds to the opening of a blind hole (30″), accommodating a light source (31), preferably in the vicinity of said opening.
Apparatus (10) for emitting light with a controlled directionality and optical divergence from at least one opening (30′;
- 122′), comprising:
- a light impervious surface structure (20;
- 120) comprising said at least one opening (30′;
- 122′),
- a periodic or quasi-periodic surface topography comprising one or several surface feature(s) (40;
- 123) and associated with said at least one opening on said surface structure, whereby light (IOUTPUT) emerging from said opening(s) (30′;
- 122′) interacts with surface waves on said surface structure (20;
- 120) thereby providing controlled directionality and optical divergence of the emitted light (IOUTPUT),
- characterised in that each of the at least one opening (30′;
- 122′) corresponds to the exit opening of an aperture (30;
- 122) extending through a film or plate like element or part comprising or formed by said surface structure (20;
- 120), said element or part having, on one side, a first surface (20a;
- 121a) provided with the entry opening of said aperture (30;
- 122) and intended to be subjected to incident light (IINCIDENT),
- characterised in that the first surface (20a;
- 121a) is also provided with a periodic or quasi-periodic surface topography associated with the at least one entry opening of the at least one aperture (30;
- 122) and comprising one or several surface feature(s) (40′;
- 123′), and
- characterised in that the surface topography of the first surface (20a;
- 121a) and the surface topography of the second surface (20b;
- 121b) are identical.
Read/write head with multiple wavelength read/write capacity at different locations for optical storage media, characterised in that it comprises an apparatus (10) for emitting light with a controlled directionality and optical divergence from at least one opening (30′;
- 122′), said apparatus comprising
- a light impervious surface structure (20;
- 120) comprising said at least one opening (30′;
- 122′),
- a periodic or quasi-periodic surface topography comprising one or several surface feature(s) (40;
- 123) and associated with said at least one opening on said surface structure, whereby light (IOUTPUT) emerging from said opening(s) (30′;
- 122′) interacts with surface waves on said surface structure (20;
- 120) thereby providing controlled directionality and optical divergence of the emitted light (IOUTPUT),
- characterised in that each of the at least one opening (30′;
- 122′) corresponds to the opening of a recess or a cavity (30″) in the surface structure (20), accommodating a light source (31), preferably in the vicinity of said opening,
- characterised in that the surface topography comprises at least two protruding and/or recessing structural surface features (40;
- 123), and
- characterised in that the surface structure (20;
- 120) and the surface features (40;
- 123) are covered with a material (202) having a selectively variable refractive index, said index being controllably adjustable by external triggering.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.