Surface plasmon noncontact electric field sensors and related methods
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A surface-plasmon electric field sensor, comprising:
- a light source for emitting plane-polarized light having a free-space wavelength;
a photodetector; and
a plasmonic portion comprising;
an electro-optic layer having a first surface opposite a second surface,a transparent conductive layer disposed upon the first surface of the electro-optic layer,a metallic layer disposed upon the second surface of the electro-optic layer, anda dielectric layer;
wherein the metallic layer has alternating grating and smooth regions, each smooth region having a cavity length near a multiple of an effective wavelength of the light in the electro-optic layer, and each grating region having lines on a pitch near the effective wavelength.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A surface-plasmon electric field sensor has a plasmonic portion having an electro-optic dielectric material coated on one side with a transparent conductive layer and on another side with a thin layer of conductive metallic layer. The metallic layer has alternating grating and smooth regions, the smooth regions being of length near a multiple of an effective wavelength of the light in the electro-optic layer, and the grating regions having lines on a pitch near the effective wavelength. The sensor has a light source for illuminating the plasmonic portion with plane-polarized light having a free-space wavelength and a photodetector.
-
Citations
30 Claims
-
1. A surface-plasmon electric field sensor, comprising:
-
a light source for emitting plane-polarized light having a free-space wavelength; a photodetector; and a plasmonic portion comprising; an electro-optic layer having a first surface opposite a second surface, a transparent conductive layer disposed upon the first surface of the electro-optic layer, a metallic layer disposed upon the second surface of the electro-optic layer, and a dielectric layer; wherein the metallic layer has alternating grating and smooth regions, each smooth region having a cavity length near a multiple of an effective wavelength of the light in the electro-optic layer, and each grating region having lines on a pitch near the effective wavelength. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A garment having a skinward side and an outside side, the garment having a plurality of sensors disposed to sense electric fields at the skinward side of the garment, each sensor comprising:
-
a light source for emitting plane-polarized light having a free-space wavelength; a photodetector; and a plasmonic portion comprising; an electro-optic layer having a first surface opposite a second surface, a transparent conductive layer disposed upon the first surface of the electro-optic layer, a metallic layer disposed upon the second surface of the electro-optic layer, and a dielectric layer; wherein the metallic layer has alternating grating and smooth regions, each smooth region having a cavity length near a multiple of an effective wavelength of the light in the electro-optic layer, and each grating region having lines on a pitch near the effective wavelength. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A method of sensing an electric field comprising:
-
projecting a beam of plane-polarized light from a light source onto a plasmonic portion of a sensor, the plasmonic portion comprising an electro-optic layer and a metallic layer; converting a portion of the light into surface plasmons at a first grating region of the plasmonic portion; propagating the plasmons through a smooth region to a second grating region of the plasmonic portion; reflecting at least a portion of the plasmons from the second grating region back to the first grating region of the plasmonic portion; applying the electric field to the electro-optic layer; modulating reflected and scattered light as the electric field shifts the resonance wavelength of the plasmonic portion; detecting and measuring reflected light from the plasmonic portion; and wherein the light is selected from the group consisting of visible and infrared light. - View Dependent Claims (23)
-
-
24. A method of sensing a bioelectric field emitted by a mammal, comprising:
-
applying a garment to the mammal, the garment having a skinward surface and an outer surface, the garment further comprising a plurality of electric field sensors wherein each electric field sensor comprises a plasmonic portion; projecting plane-polarized light from light sources onto the plasmonic portions of the sensors, the plasmonic portions comprising an electro-optic layer and a metallic layer; converting a portion of the light into surface plasmons at first grating regions of the plasmonic portions of the sensors; propagating the plasmons through smooth regions to second grating regions of the plasmonic portions of the sensors; reflecting at least a portion of the plasmons from the second grating regions back to the first grating regions of the plasmonic portions of the sensors; applying the bioelectric field to the electro-optic layer of the sensors; modulating reflected light as the plasmons interact with the light and some plasmons reradiate as light at the first and second grating regions; detecting and measuring reflected and radiated light from the plasmonic portions of the sensors; and wherein the light is selected from the group consisting of visible and infrared light. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A surface-plasmon sensor, comprising:
-
a light source for emitting plane-polarized light having a free-space wavelength; a photodetector; and a plasmonic portion comprising; a first layer having a first surface opposite a second surface, the first layer being formed of a material having a variable index of refraction and selected from the group consisting of a magneto-optic material, a thermo-optic material, and an acousto-optic material, a transparent conductive layer disposed upon the first surface of the first layer, a metallic layer disposed upon the second surface of the first layer, and a dielectric layer; wherein the metallic layer has alternating grating and smooth regions, each smooth region having a cavity length near a multiple of an effective wavelength of the light in the first layer, and each grating region having lines on a pitch near the effective wavelength.
-
Specification