Near-field Focusing Research Articles

Plasmonic All-Frame-Faceted Octahedral Nanoframes with Eight Engraved Y-Shaped Hot Zones.

We report the synthesis of all-frame-faceted octahedral nanoframes containing eight Y-shaped hot zones in a single entity where electromagnetic near-field focusing can be maximized. To realize such state-of-the-art complex nanoframes, a series of multiple stepwise bottom-up processes were executed by exploiting Au octahedral nanoparticles as the initial template. By rationally controlling the chemical reactivity of different surface facets (i.e., vertexes, edges, and terraces), the Au octahedral nanoparticles went through controlled shape transformations, leading to Au-engraved nanoparticles wherein 24 edges wrap the octahedral Au nanoparticle core. Those edges were then selectively decorated with Pt, leading to the formation of eight Pt tripods in a single entity. After etching the central Au, 3D Pt tripod frame-faceted octahedral nanoframes were achieved with high integrity. By harnessing the obtained Pt nanoframes as a scaffold, AuAg alloy-based plasmonic all-frame-faceted nanoframes were obtained after the co-reduction of Ag and Au, which generated multiple hot zones within multiple surface intra-nanogaps, creating a single-particle, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy enhancer platform.

Cylindrical conformal array antenna for near field focusing

This paper proposes a cylindrical conformal antenna array for near-field focusing. Two dimensional focusing scanning can be realized by using digital phase shifters. In addition, omnidirectional scanning along circumference of the cylinder can be obtained with good stability by feeding a fixed number of antenna elements in the different section of the cylindrical array. One third of the cylindrical array is fabricated and measured to verify the near-field focusing performances. Both simulation and measurement show that the proposed cylindrical conformal array antenna can effectively achieve two-dimensional near-field focusing scanning. Compared with planar array, cylindrical array can broaden the scanning range to omnidirection with good stability in horizontal dimension. This method can provide references for applications such as radio frequency identification and wireless power transfer.

Ring-in-a-Triangle Nanoframes: Integrating with Intra- and Interhotspots for Highly Amplified Near-Field Focusing.

The development of a stepwise synthetic strategy for Au ring-in-a-triangle nanoframes with a high degree of structural solidity is essential to the advancement of highly amplified near-field focusing. This strategy leads to the formation of an inscribed nanoring in a triangular metal frame with stability to withstand elevated temperatures and an oxidizing environment, which is critical for successful single-particle surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The existence of inscribed nanorings plays an important role in enhancing the so-called "lightning rod effect," whereby the electromagnetic near-field enhancement occurs on the highly curved curvature of a metallic interface. We evaluated the corresponding single-particle SERS as a function of the thickness of the rims and then constructed two-dimensional (2D) bulk SERS substrates, wherein an ensemble of hotspots exists. The synergic contribution from both inter- and intrahotspots allowed the outstanding linearity of the calibration curve and the lowest limit of detection, ∼10-18 M for the analyte concentration.

Enhancement of near-field subwavelength focusing using a solid immersion Fresnel zone plate with radially polarized incidence

A solid immersion Fresnel zone plate (SI-FZP) is designed, and its near-field diffraction characteristics are analyzed using the vector angular spectrum (VAS) method. The analytical VAS model of formulism for the electric field vector transmitted from a binary amplitude and/or phase circular SI-FZP is obtained for any polarization of incidence. Numerical calculations show that, when the solid film immersing a high-numerical-aperture FZP is truncated close to the FZP’s focus in a single homogeneous medium, the focusing intensity in the vicinity of the SI-FZP–air interface can be improved dozens of times in magnitude for radially polarized incidence, compared with the FZP’s far-field focusing in the single medium without an interface. The validity of the proposed analytical VAS model of formulism to analyze SI-FZP’s diffraction problems has been affirmed by comparison with numerical results obtained by the finite-difference time-domain simulation.

Localized photonic nanojet based sensing platform for highly efficient signal amplification and quantitative biosensing

Light-analyte interaction systems are key elements of novel near-field optics based sensing techniques used for highly-sensitive detection of various kinds of targets. However, it is still a great challenge to achieve quantitative analysis of the targets using these sensing techniques, since critical difficulties exist on how to efficiently and precisely introduce the analytes into the desired location of the near-field light focusing, and quantitatively measure the enhanced optical signal reliably. In this work, we present for the first time a localized photonic nanojet (L-PNJ) based sensing platform which provides a strategy to achieve quantitative biosensing via utilizing a unique light-analyte interaction system. We demonstrate that individual fluorescent microsphere of different sizes can be readily introduced to the light-analyte interaction system with loading efficiency more than 70%, and generates reproducible enhanced fluorescence signals with standard deviation less than 7.5%. We employ this sensing platform for fluorescent-bead-based biotin concentration analysis, achieving the improvement on the detection sensitivity and limit of detection, opening the door for highly sensitive and quantitative biosensing. This L-PNJ based sensing platform is promising for development of next-generation on-chip signal amplification and quantitative detection systems.

Near-field microwave focusing evaluation of dielectric lens antenna for human body model

Various small focus spot applicators are being investigated for hyperthermia therapy, which requires microwave concentration to heat tumors in the human body. Dielectric lens antenna is frequency independent and has strong focusing capability to achieve a very small focusing spot. In this paper, lenses with diameters of 30, 50 and 70 cm were designed to evaluate the size of the focal spot in the human body model. The electromagnetic simulator, FEKO was used to generate rays and near-field focusing data of dielectric lenses at a frequency of 2.45 GHz. The simulated focal spot sizes agreed well with the theoretical values. An analytical investigation into the power at the focal spot was conducted using the proposed power relations of the focused lens novel equation. The theoretical propagation loss is used to represent the power density degradation at the focal spot caused by microwave absorption by the human body. The simulation results of the focused lens in the human body indicated that the 30 cm lens achieved a larger focal spot with a greater focusing power, 0.714 mW compared to the 70 cm lens, which achieved a smaller focal spot but a lower focusing power, which was 0.393 mW.

Simulation of the near-field focusing and the far-field imaging of microspherical lenses: A review

Simulation of the near-field focusing and the far-field imaging of microspherical lenses: A review

Focusing dielectric slabs for the optimization of heating patterns in single mode microwave applicators

• Specific temperature distributions are difficult to obtain in microwave applicators. • Dielectric slabs with adjustable positions are proposed as focusing lenses. • Numerical and experimental results are provided for a TE101 rectangular cavity. • The slabs allow the optimization of heating patterns with great flexibility. • Their effect is illustrated on plastic preforms with a predefined heating pattern. A new approach based on dielectric slabs with adjustable position is proposed as near-field focusing lenses inside a single-mode microwave applicator to provide specific temperature distributions within a material heated by microwaves. Numerical and experimental results in a TE 101 rectangular cavity at 915 MHz have been used to evaluate the capability of these focusing dielectrics to optimize the temperature profile of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) preforms. Measurements of the temperature profile on the preforms verified the strong effect of the slabs on the electric field distribution, allowing the optimization of the heating patterns with great flexibility. The successful application applied to PET preforms with different sizes and geometries showed the versatility of this approach which can be extended to the application of other type of loads and microwave cavities.

Measurement of the LOFAR-HBA beam patterns using an unmanned aerial vehicle in the near field

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is exploited to characterize in situ the high-band antennas (HBAs) of the low-frequency array (LOFAR) CS302 station located in Exloo, The Netherlands. The size of an HBA array is about 30 m. The Fraunhofer distance (a few kilometers) is not reachable in the frequency band (120 to 240 MHz) within the flight regulation limits. Therefore, far-field patterns cannot be directly measured. The UAV, equipped with an radio frequency synthesizer and a dipole antenna, flies in the near-field region of the considered array. Measurement of three different frequencies (124, 150, and 180 MHz) is efficiently made during the same UAV flight. The near-field focusing method is exploited to validate the far-field pattern of the array under test within an angular range around the beam axis. Such a technique avoids both the time consuming λ / 2 sampling of the aperture field and the further application of computationally heavy near-field to far-field transformations. The array beam is well reconstructed in the main lobe and first sidelobes within a 2D scan plane sampled with a radial raster. A further postprocessing technique is proposed and validated on a subarray of HBAs. It suggests efficient ways for the future characterization of regular aperture arrays for SKA-MID Phase 2.

Optical Efficiency Enhancement of Nanojet-Based Dielectric Double-Material Color Splitters for Image Sensor Applications.

We propose a new type of color splitter, which guides a selected bandwidth of incident light towards the proper photosensitive area of the image sensor by exploiting the nanojet (NJ) beam phenomenon. Such splitting can be performed as an alternative to filtering out part of the received light on each color subpixel. We propose to split the incoming light thanks to a new type of NJ-based near-field focusing double-material element with an insert. To suppress crosstalk, we use a Deep-Trench Isolation (DTI) structure. We demonstrate that the use of a dielectric insert block allows for reduction in the size of the color splitting element. By changing the position of the DTI, the functionality of separating blue, green and red light can be improved.

Microring Zone Structure for Near-Field Probes

Recent advances in Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) technologies have shown the possibility of transmission enhancement of localized modes propagating through sub-diffraction wide slits and apertures, resulting in the strong near-field focusing of metallic planar nanostructures. This work presents a new approach to the fabrication of high-resolution near-field optical probes using 3D lithography in combination with numerical finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations. A narrow 500 nm depth of field focus area was observed both by numerical analysis and near field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) measurements. Further research and optimization are planned in order to achieve subwavelength focal regions and increased signal intensities.

Au Nanorings with Intertwined Triple Rings.

We designed complex Au nanorings with intertwined triple rings (ANITs) in a single entity to amplify the efficacy of near-field focusing. Such a complex and unprecedented morphology at the nanoscale was realized through on-demand multistepwise reactions. Triangular nanoprisms were first sculpted into circular nanorings, followed by a series of chemical etching and deposition reactions eventually leading to ANITs wherein thin metal bridges hold the structure together without any linker molecules. In the multistepwise reaction, the well-faceted growth pattern of Au, which induces the growth of two distinctive flat facets in a lateral direction, is important to evolve the morphology from single to multiple nanorings. Although our synthesis proceeds through multiple steps in one batch without purification steps, it shows a remarkably high yield (>∼90%) at the final stage. The obtained high degree of homogeneity (in both shape and size) of the resulting ANITs allowed us to systematically investigate the corresponding localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) coupling with varying nanoring arrangements and observe their single-particle surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Surprisingly, individual ANITs exhibited an enormously large enhancement factor (∼109), which confirms their superior near-field focusing relative to other reported nanoparticles.

Controlling near-field focusing of a mesoscale binary phase plate in an optical radiation field with circular polarization

Binary Fresnel zone plates (ZP) are one of the most frequently used focusing elements of inplane optical schemes in micro- and nanophotonics. With a decrease in the diameter and focal distance of the ZP to meso-wavelength sizes, the parameters of the focusing region begin to be significantly influenced by features of the ZP design (material, thickness, relief depth). The spatial structure of the focal spot formed in the near-field is investigated by the numerical finite elements (FEM) simulations of the transmission of a plane optical wave through a mesoscale binary phase ZP. We show that there is a range of optimal etching depths of the ZP ridges and optimal thicknesses of the plate substrate, at which the best focusing of the incident optical wave is realized in terms of the maximum field intensity and the minimum size of the focal spot. In addition, a concept of a super-focusing binary phase ZP with an immersion layer in the form of a truncated cone fabricated of ZP material is proposed, which makes it possible to focus the circularly polarized light wave into a subdiffraction region with a half-width of about "lambda"/2n (n is the ZP refractive index).

Efficient Holographic Focusing Metasurface

We present the design and experimental demonstration of an efficient holographic metasurface aperture that focuses microwaves in the Fresnel zone. The proposed circular structure consists of two stacked plates with their periphery terminated in a conductive layer. Microwaves are injected into the bottom plate, which forms the feed layer, and are coupled to the top holographic metasurface layer via an annular ring. This coupling results in an inward traveling cylindrical wave in the top layer, which serves as the reference wave for a hologram. The radiating elements consist of a slot pair with their orientations designed to couple efficiently with the cylindrical reference wave while maintaining a linearly polarized focused beam. A general condition on the slot pairs radiated power is proposed to ensure low sidelobe level (SLL) and is validated with full-wave simulation. An aperture that is 20 cm in diameter, operates at 20 GHz in the K-band frequency, and forms a diffraction-limited focal spot at a distance of 10 cm is experimentally demonstrated. The proposed near-field focusing metasurface has high antenna efficiency and can find application as a compact source for Fresnel-zone wireless power transfer and remote sensing schemes.

First Step Toward Laser Micromachining Realization by Photonic Nanojet in Water Medium

In the recent period of the miniaturization of devices, there has been a high demand for high-resolution, flexible, and fast machining technique to accommodate high production volumes. Conventional laser machining with a focused laser beam has been widely used to fabricate small devices for various applications. However, this process is limited by the optical diffraction limit of the laser beam. Therefore, the photonic nanojet (PNJ) machining technique is a promising solution to tackle this problem. This technique is based on the near-field focusing of light waves with a high-energy laser power below the surface of an irradiated dielectric microsphere. We introduce water as a medium in the proposed PNJ machining technique so that the pattern could be fabricated more efficiently, faster, and with better quality. We evaluate the characteristics of the generated PNJ in water; further, we estimate the PNJ machining results numerically using the FDTD method and confirm them experimentally. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first ever to do so. All the holes obtained from the PNJ machining experiment were consistently in the sub-micrometer order and below the optical diffraction limit value of the constructed setup.

Longitudinal distribution of the field intensity of a circular focused aperture

Microwave and millimeter-wave antennas focused in their Fresnel zone, which are usually named as near-field focused (NFF) antennas, are becoming increasingly popular. Indeed, when compared to conventional far-field focused antennas, they can guarantee performance improvement at a relatively limited implementation cost, in short-range communication systems, wireless power transfer arrangements, remote nondestructive sensing setups, and radiofrequency identification apparatus, among many others. In this paper, analytical expressions are obtained for calculating the main parameters characterizing the longitudinal distribution of the circular focused aperture field intensity with a relatively large diameter (2R/λ≥10) : the displacement of the intensity maximum relative to the focal point, focusing gain and depth of focus. Cases of uniform and decreasing amplitude distributions of the excitation field are considered. The found approximate relations make it possible to determine the values of the above parameters for any values of the longitudinal coordinate of the focal point, lying both in the Fresnel zone and in the far zone. Comparison with numerical calculations showed that the error in the obtained parameter values does not exceed 5%. The results of this paper will be useful when calculating the field of antennas in the form of a circular focused aperture, as well as focused antenna arrays operating in the Fresnel zone.

근접장 빔 포커싱을 위한 초점 가변 메타표면 렌즈 설계

In this paper, we propose a metasurface lens to adjust the focal length for near-field beam focusing by using mechanical rotation. The proposed metasurface is implemented with two lenses using unit cell geometries, where the transmit phase distributions of the proposed metasurface lens are calculated based on the Moire lens theory. The lenses with dimensions of 0.48 m × 0.48 m are modeled using the FEKO EM simulation tool, and the near-field distributions and focal lengths are obtained in accordance with the rotating angle of the upper lens. When the upper lens is rotated from θ=0º to 60º, the focal length can be changed from a distance of 0.86 m to 0.68 m, and the maximum normalized nearfield intensity is achieved at a focal length of 0.68 m.

Inflection point: a perspective on photonic nanojets

When light propagates through the edge or middle part of a microparticle’s incoming interface, there is a basic rule that light converges and diverges rapidly or slowly at the output port. These two parts are referred to as the region of rapid change (RRC) and region of slow change (RSC), respectively. Finding the boundary point between RRC and RSC is the key to reveal and expound upon this rule scientifically. Based on the correlation between light convergence–divergence and the slope of emergent light, combined with the relationship between a natural logarithm and growth in physical reality and the second derivative of a function in practical significance, we determine the boundary point between RRC and RSC, namely, the inflection point. From such a perspective, a photonic nanojet (PNJ) and near-field focusing by light irradiation on RSC and RRC, as well as the position of the inflection point under different refractive index contrasts and the field distribution of light focusing, are studied with finite-element-method-based numerical simulation and ray-optics-based theoretical analysis. By illuminating light of different field intensity ratios to the regions divided by the inflection point, we demonstrate the generation of a photonic hook (PH) and the modulation of PNJ/PH in a new manner.

Design of high-resolution near-field focusing metasurface lens

A high-resolution near-field focusing metasurface lens (MSL) was proposed to meet the high-resolution and miniaturization requirements of focusing devices in the Ka-band passive millimeter wave (PMMW) imaging system. Based on coaxial ring structure with polarization insensitivity, the design of a single refraction surface phase gradient MSL capable of focusing on plane waves is completed. Furthermore, the near-field focusing is realized by the method of phase superposition. The overall size of the lens s is 80 × 80 mm2, composed of 25 × 25 unit with the thickness of only 0.24λ. The feed source used a tapered slot antenna based on substrate integrated waveguide. The simulation results indicate a good spatial resolution of the presented lens, which can focus the electromagnetic wave radiated from the feed antenna at 70 mm with the focal spot size of 9 mm. The lens can effectively reduce the system volume and achieve high resolution imaging when utilized in PMMW imaging system.

Occluded Grape Cluster Detection and Vine Canopy Visualisation Using an Ultrasonic Phased Array.

Grape yield estimation has traditionally been performed using manual techniques. However, these tend to be labour intensive and can be inaccurate. Computer vision techniques have therefore been developed for automated grape yield estimation. However, errors occur when grapes are occluded by leaves, other bunches, etc. Synthetic aperture radar has been investigated to allow imaging through leaves to detect occluded grapes. However, such equipment can be expensive. This paper investigates the potential for using ultrasound to image through leaves and identify occluded grapes. A highly directional low frequency ultrasonic array composed of ultrasonic air-coupled transducers and microphones is used to image grapes through leaves. A fan is used to help differentiate between ultrasonic reflections from grapes and leaves. Improved resolution and detail are achieved with chirp excitation waveforms and near-field focusing of the array. The overestimation in grape volume estimation using ultrasound reduced from 222% to 112% compared to the 3D scan obtained using photogrammetry or from 56% to 2.5% compared to a convex hull of this 3D scan. This also has the added benefit of producing more accurate canopy volume estimations which are important for common precision viticulture management processes such as variable rate applications.