Optical device unit and detection apparatus

• US 8,497,987 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2011
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Sakagami, Yusuke, Amako, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): LAUCHMAN, LAYLA G
• Application Number:
  US13/226,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20120062882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 356/301
• US Class Current: 356/301
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/658 enhancement Raman, e.g. surface plasmons

Abstract

An optical device unit includes: an optical device that has an electrical conductor and that is capable of enhancing Raman scattering light generated by receiving light from a light source; and a guide unit that guides a gaseous sample to the optical device. The guide unit has a first fluid path for rotating the gaseous sample in an area facing the optical device.

Claims

1. An optical device unit comprising:

an optical device having an electrical conductor, the optical device being capable of enhancing Raman scattering light generated by receiving light from a light source; and

a guide unit that guides a gaseous sample to the optical device,

wherein the guide unit has a first fluid path for rotating the gaseous sample in an area facing the optical device.

2. The optical device unit according to claim 1, wherein the first fluid path has a wall surface for rotating the gaseous sample in a direction parallel to a virtual plane of the electrical conductor.

3. The optical device unit according to claim 2, wherein the first fluid path has a cylindrical structure, and the wall surface is an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical structure.

4. The optical device unit according to claim 1, wherein the first fluid path has a wall surface for rotating the gaseous sample in a direction perpendicular to a virtual plane of the electrical conductor.

5. The optical device unit according to claim 4, wherein the first fluid path has a cavity-form structure, and the wall surface is an inner spherical surface of the cavity-shaped structure.

6. The optical device unit according to claim 1, wherein the guide unit further has a second fluid path connected to the first fluid path, and

the second fluid path has a helical structure.

7. The optical device unit according to claim 6, wherein the guide unit has an inlet duct for the gaseous sample in an entrance side of the helical structure, and

the second fluid path is connected to the first fluid path in an exit side of the helical structure.

8. A detection apparatus comprising:

an optical device unit according to claim 1;

the light source;

a first optical system that enters the light from the light source into the electrical conductor of the optical device; and

a detector that detects the Raman scattering light from light scattered or reflected by the electrical conductor.

9. The detection apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the electrical conductor of the optical device has a first protrusion group having a plurality of protrusions,

each of the plurality of protrusions of the first protrusion group is arranged with a first period along a direction parallel to the virtual plane of the electrical conductor, and

the first optical system enters the light from the light source into the first protrusion group such that an arrangement direction of the first protrusion group is parallel to a component parallel to the virtual plane of a polarization direction of the light from the light source.

10. The detection apparatus according to claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of protrusions of the first protrusion group has a second protrusion group formed by a second electrical conductor on a top surface of the first protrusion group, and

each of the plurality of protrusions of the second protrusion group corresponding to any one of the plurality of protrusions of the first protrusion group is arranged with a second period shorter than the first period along the direction parallel to the virtual plane.

11. The detection apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a surface between the neighboring protrusions of the first protrusion group on a surface where the first protrusion group is arranged has a third protrusion group formed by an electrical conductor, and

each of the plurality of protrusions of the third protrusion group is arranged with a third period shorter than the first period along the direction parallel to the virtual plane between the neighboring protrusions of the first protrusion group.

12. The detection apparatus according to claim 9, wherein surface plasmon resonance is generated at each of first and second resonance peak wavelengths when a propagation direction of the light from the light source is inclined with respect to a vertical line directed to the virtual plane,

a first resonance peak wavelength band having the first resonance peak wavelength has an excitation wavelength in surface enhanced Raman scattering caused by the surface plasmon resonance, and

a second resonance peak wavelength band having the second resonance peak wavelength has a Raman scattering wavelength in the surface enhanced Raman scattering.

13. The detection apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a second optical system that guides the Raman scattering light to the detector,

wherein the detector receives the Raman scattering light through the second optical system.