Surface Plasmon Enhanced Illumination

Harvard University Office of Technology Development
posted on 07/27/2011

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MARKETS ADDRESSED:
This invention, Surface Plasmon Enhanced Illumination (SPEI) can serve as the basis for new approaches to optical data storage, photolithography, and ultra-high resolution optical microscopy. In addition, as a direct result of the resonance phenomenon underlying the extraordinary photonic transport, SPEI can serve as the basis of an extremely sensitive and very highly multiplexed biosensor.

INNOVATIONS & ADVANTAGES:
The resonant excitation of surface plasmons (SPs) by photons of poynting vectors normal to the surface in which the SPs exist through periodic perforation has been a topic of interest for several years. The extraordinary enhancement of photonic transport through substantially sub-wavelength sized holes in symmetric metallic films due to this resonance has immense promise in fields such as data storage, photolithography, ultra-high resolution optical microscopy and single molecule biosensing. Unfortunately, symmetric conductive films, while collecting photons over a large area (compared to the wavelength of the irradiance) also emit the photons on the non-irradiated side over an area that is similarly larger than the wavelength.

A new light source has been invented that maintains the extraordinary photonic transport through sub-wavelength apertures while constraining the emission on the non-irradiated side to the aperture. The light emitted from these devices appears to violate Rayleigh’s criterion for two (or more) sources. The direct implication for this is that such apertures do not entirely act as point sources, instead, they emit semi-collimated light and because the emitted light is propagating, and not evanescent, this device can be used in the far-field.