Electromagnetically responsive element with self resonant bodies

• US 20070223858A1
• Filed: 03/22/2006
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick, Tegreene, Clarence, Myhrvold, Nathan, Wood, Lowell, Hillis, W.
• Application Number:
  US11/386,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20070223858A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/15
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/00 Optical elements characterised by the material of which they are made; Optical coatings for optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/01716 Optically controlled superlattice or quantum well devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/01791 Quantum boxes or quantum dots
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/35 Non-linear optics
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3515 All-optical modulation, gating, switching, e.g. control of a light beam by another light beam G02F1/353, G02F1/37, G02F1/39 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3517 using an interferometer
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/30 Metamaterials
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/32 Photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/15 involving resonance effects, e.g. resonantly enhanced interaction

Abstract

An electromagnetically responsive element includes an arrangement of self-resonant bodies, such as atoms or quantum dots that form an effective dielectric constant, typically at or near a resonance.

Claims

1. An optical component having a selected optical response to excitation energy at a selected frequency, comprising:

an array of self resonant bodies, each of the self resonant bodies having a frequency line center substantially at the selected frequency, the self resonant bodies being arranged in a pattern corresponding to the selected optical response.

2. The optical component of claim 1 wherein the pattern defines a refractive index profile substantially according to:

3. The optical component of claim 2 including a first location wherein the pattern defines a refractive index profile that decreases radially from the first location.

4. The optical component of claim 1 wherein the pattern corresponding to the selected optical response includes a gradient distribution of the self resonant bodies.

6. The optical component of claim 4 wherein the gradient distribution of the self resonant bodies is symmetrical about a central axis.

8. The optical component of claim 4 wherein the gradient distribution of the self resonant bodies includes a gradient distribution having a peak density of self resonant bodies along a central axis.

10. The optical component of claim 1 wherein each of the self resonant bodies is an atomic structure.

11. The optical component of claim 10 wherein each of the self resonant bodies includes a rare earth atom.

12. The optical component of claim 1 wherein each of the self resonant bodies includes a quantum dot.

13. The optical component of claim 1 wherein each of the self resonant bodies includes a quantum dot bound to an organic molecule.

15. The optical component of claim 1 wherein each of the patterns is an aperiodic pattern.

16. The optical component of claim 1 further including a substrate carrying the self resonant bodies.

19. The optical component of claim 1 wherein the selected optical response is a focusing response.

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20. An apparatus, comprising:

an array of oscillators responsive to optical frequencies surrounding a line center frequency ω

₀, the oscillators being arranged to define a refractive index profile at a selected optical frequency; and

a supporting structure carrying the oscillators and retaining the oscillators in a selected arrangement.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the selected optical frequency is higher than the line center frequency.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the refractive index profile includes at least one region having a negative real part at the selected optical frequency.

24. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the oscillators consist of one or more atomic bodies.

25. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the oscillators include quantum dots.

26. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the supporting structure includes a plurality of binding sites arranged according to the selected arrangement.

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41. A method of controlling electromagnetic energy propagation, comprising:

intercepting the electromagnetic energy with an set of oscillators, each oscillator having an oscillation frequency corresponding to an expected frequency of the electromagnetic energy; and

inducing a propagation delay with the oscillators, the propagation delay corresponding to a local density of oscillators in the set of oscillators.

42. The method of claim 41 further including aligning the set of oscillators to define a focal region.

44. The method of claim 41 wherein inducing a propagation delay with the oscillators includes producing a local refractive index change that is a function of a magnitude of the electromagnetic energy with each of the oscillators.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein producing a local refractive index change includes establishing a local density of oscillators.

43. (canceled)