PHOTO INDUCED ENHANCED FIELD ELECTRON EMISSION COLLECTOR

• US 20110220172A1
• Filed: 10/27/2008
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pacific Integrated Energy, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pacific Integrated Energy, Inc.
• Inventors: LAYTON, PHILLIP J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,507,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/246
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/008 Surface plasmon devices diffractive gratings with a pitch less than or comparable to the wavelength G02B5/1809; surface plasmons in integrated optics G02B6/1226; optical analysis of materials by means of surface plasmons G01N21/553
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 29/04 Cathodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/0073 said selective devices having corrugations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/02 Refracting or diffracting devices, e.g. lens, prism

Abstract

An electromagnetic energy collector and sensor use enhanced fields to emit electrons for energy collection. The collector and sensor collect energy from visible light, infrared radiation and ultraviolet electromagnetic radiation. The collector and sensor include a waveguide with a geometry selected to enhance the electric field along a conductor to create a high, localized electric field, which causes electron emission across a gap to a return plane.

Claims

1. A field-enhancing device that collects energy from at least one wavelength of electromagnetic radiation, the device comprising:

at least one electromagnetic energy conducting collection structure; and

an anode return layer spaced apart from the at least one collection structure.

2. The field enhancing device of claim 1, wherein the conducting collection structure comprises a conical shape that tapers from an upper base having a first diameter to a lower tip having a second diameter, wherein an intermediate diameter between the first diameter and the second diameter is on the order of a wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation to be collected.

3. The field enhancing device of claim 2, wherein the at least one electromagnetic energy conducting collection structure comprises a plurality of conducting collection structures positioned with respect to a common plane.

4. The field enhancing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one electromagnetic energy conducting collection structure comprises a plurality of conducting collection structures positioned with respect to a common plane.

5. The field enhancing device of claim 1, wherein the conducting collection structure comprises a conducting metal having a plasma frequency above the frequency of the electromagnetic wavelengths to be collected.

6. The field enhancing device of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one electromagnetic energy conducting collection structure comprises a plurality of conducting collection structures positioned with respect to a common plane;

each conducting collection structure comprises a conducting metal forming an inner surface;

each conducting collection structure comprises a conical shape that tapers from an upper base having a first diameter to a lower tip having a second diameter, wherein an intermediate diameter between the first diameter and the second diameter is on the order of a wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation to be collected; and

a dielectric layer is positioned on the inner surface of the conducting collection structure.

7. The field enhancing device of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one electromagnetic energy conducting collection structure comprises a plurality of conducting collection structures positioned with respect to a common plane;

each conducting collection structure comprises a conducting metal forming an inner surface;

each conducting collection structure comprises a conical shape that tapers from an upper base having a first diameter to a lower tip having a second diameter, wherein an intermediate diameter between the first diameter and the second diameter is on the order of a wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation to be collected;

a dielectric layer is positioned on the inner surface of the conducting collection structure; and

the plurality of conducting collection structures are electrically connected.

8. The field enhancing device of claim 7, further comprising a vacuum region or a gas region between the collection structure and the anode return layer.

9. The field enhancing device of claim 8, wherein the lower tip of the collection structure is a cathode tip and wherein the cathode tip is spaced apart from the anode return layer by a distance of less than 100 nanometers.

10. The field enhancing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one electromagnetic energy conducting collection structure comprises a plurality of collection structures electrically interconnected to form a device.

11. A method for collecting electromagnetic energy and generating electrical energy, the method comprising:

receiving the electromagnetic energy into a first end of at least one collection structure having a first cross-sectional dimension defined by an inner surface of the at least one collection structure;

propagating the electromagnetic energy toward a second end of the at least one collection structure, the second end of the at least one collection structure having a second cross-sectional dimension smaller than the first cross-sectional dimension, the cross-sectional dimension of the at least one collection structure varying between first dimension and the second dimension and having at least one dimension between the first dimension and the second dimension corresponding to a wavelength of the electromagnetic energy; and

interacting the electromagnetic energy with the inner surface of the at least one collection structure where the wavelength of the electromagnetic energy corresponds to the at least one dimension of the at least one collection structure to create an emission of electrons from the at least one collection structure to an anode because of the interaction of.

12. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein the at least one collection structure comprises a plurality of collection structures arranged in an array of collection structures, and wherein the method further comprises receiving the electromagnetic energy in the plurality of collection structures.

13. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein:

the at least one collection structure is conical;

the second cross-sectional dimension is at a tip of the collection structure that forms a cathode of the collection structure; and

the cathode is spaced apart from the anode by a distance that is less than 100 nanometers.