Resonant structures and methods for encoding signals into surface plasmons

#The present invention is related to the following co-pending U.S. Patent applications which are all commonly owned with the present application, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference: 1. U.S. application Ser. No. 11/243,476, filed Oct. 5, 2005, entitled, “Structure and Methods for Coupling Energy from an Electromagnetic Wave;” 2. U.S. application Ser. No. 11/243,477, filed Oct. 5, 2005, entitled, “Electron Beam Induced Resonance;” 3. U.S. application Ser. No. 11/238,991, filed Sep. 30, 2005, entitled, “Light Emitting Free-Electron MicroResonant Structure;” 4. U.S. application Ser. No. 11/302,471, filed Dec. 14, 2005, entitled, “Coupled Nano-Resonating Energy Emitting Structures;” 5. U.S. application Ser. No. 11/325,432, filed Jan. 5, 2006, entitled, “Resonant Structure-Based Display;” 6. U.S. application Ser. No. 11/325,448, filed Jan. 5, 2006, entitled, “Selectable Frequency Light Emitter;” 7. U.S. application Ser. No. 11/325,571, filed Jan. 5, 2006, entitled, “Switching Micro-Resonant Structures by Modulating a Beam of Charged Particles” 8. U.S. application Ser. No. 11/325,534, filed Jan. 5, 2006, entitled, “Switching Micro-Resonant Structures Using at Least One Director.” 9. U.S. application Ser. No. 11/349,963, filed Feb. 9, 2006, entitled, “Method and Structure for two Coupling Microcircuits.”

#A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright or mask work protection. The copyright or mask work owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright or mask work rights whatsoever.

#This relates in general to coupling a signal onto, through and from a device and, more particularly, using plasmons to couple the signal.

#The following description, given with respect to the attached drawings, may be better understood with reference to the non-limiting examples of the drawings wherein like reference numbers designate like elements.

#FIG. 1 is an enlarged top-view of a device within a cavity of a microcircuit using plasmons to carry a signal;

#FIG. 2 is an enlarged side-view of the device of FIG. 1;

#The devices described herein may also employ various similar or different example resonant structures like those described in one or more of the following U.S. Patent Applications, each of which is described in greater detail above and incorporated herein by reference: application Ser. Nos. 11/243,476, 11/243,477, 11/238,991, 11/302,471, 11/325,432, 11/325,448, 11/325,571, 11/325,534, and 11/349,963.

#There are many traditional ways to produce high-frequency radiation in ranges at and above the visible spectrum, for example, up to high hundreds of Terahertz. There are also many traditional and anticipated applications that use such high frequency radiation. As frequencies increase, however, the kinds of structures needed to create the electromagnetic radiation at a desired frequency become generally smaller and harder to manufacture. We have discovered ultra-small-scale devices that obtain multiple different frequencies of radiation from the same operative layer.

#Resonant structures have been the basis for much of the presently known high frequency electronics. Devices like klystrons and magnetrons had electronics that moved frequencies of emission up to the megahertz range by the 1930s and 1940s. By around 1960, people were trying to reduce the size of resonant structures to get even higher frequencies, but had limited success because the Q of the devices went down due to the resistivity of the walls of the resonant structures. At about the same time, Smith and Purcell saw the first signs that free electrons could cause the emission of electromagnetic radiation in the visible range by running an electron beam past a diffraction grating. Since then, there has been much speculation as to what the physical basis for the Smith-Purcell radiation really is.