A wavelength selective structure for selectively reflecting or absorbing incident electromagnetic visible or infrared radiation. The wavelength selective structure includes a wavelength selective structure with a plurality of layers, including a compound layer forming a plurality of surface elements, an electrically isolating intermediate layer, wherein the compound layer is in contact with a first surface of the electrically isolating intermediate layer, and a continuous electrically conductive layer in contact with a second surface of the electrically isolating intermediate layer. The compound layer includes at least one metallic layer and at least one dielectric layer. The selective surface has at least one resonance band for selectively reflecting or absorbing visible or infrared radiation based on a resonant electromagnetic coupling between the plurality of surface elements and the continuous electrically conductive layer.

A display body includes a first surface, a second surface, a first optical component, and a second optical component. The first surface includes a first optical surface and a second optical surface. First light is incident on the first surface from an observation side. The second surface is located opposite to the observation side with respect to the first surface. Second light is incident on the second surface from a side opposite to the observation side with respect to the second surface. The first optical component forms first information, which is displayed on the observation side, from the first light received on the first optical surface. The second optical component receives the second light transmitted through the second surface, forms second information, which is displayed on the observation side, from the second light, and emits the second information from the second optical surface.

A nanostructured material system for efficient collection of photo-excited carriers is provided. They system comprises a plurality of plasmonic metal nitride core material elements coupled to a plurality of semiconductor material elements. The plasmonic nanostructured elements form ohmic junctions at the surface of the semiconductor material or at close proximity with the semiconductor material elements. A nanostructured material system for efficient collection of photo-excited carriers is also provided, comprising a plurality of plasmonic transparent conducting oxide core material elements coupled to a plurality of semiconductor material elements. The field enhancement, local temperature increase and energized hot carriers produced by nanostructures of these plasmonic material systems play enabling roles in various chemical processes. They induce, enhance, or mediate catalytic activities in the neighborhood when excited near the resonance frequencies.

An optical element includes a conversion layer and a metal piece layer. The conversion layer is provided with a light-incidence surface including an uneven surface, the conversion layer being configured to receive light incident on the uneven surface and output the light from the uneven surface as light in a different state than the incident light. The metal piece layer is configured by a plurality of metal pieces to cover at least part of the uneven surface.

Illumination structure (100) and illumination devices comprising such illumination structure are described. The illumination structure comprises a wavelength conversion layer (102) configured for receiving light of at least a first wavelength (108) and converting said received light into light of at least a second wavelength; and, an array of nanoparticles (110) arranged in a plane in close proximity to said wavelength conversion layer, at least part of said array forming a lattice characterized by at least one lattice period, wherein said lattice period is selected such that in operation: localized resonances of said nanoparticles are diffractively coupled into collective resonant modes at said second wavelength in said wavelength conversion layer (102); and, a sideward emitting radiation pattern is generated by said illumination structure that comprises field intensities in one or more directions of large inclination angle Θ.sub.i (114) with respect to said array plane that are larger than field intensities in one or more directions of small inclination angle.

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical film which has thermochromic properties that a near-infrared light shielding ratio can be controlled according to temperature environment and which has a low haze and has excellent crack resistance and adhesiveness even when the optical film is used over a long period of time, and a method for producing the same. In the optical film, an optical functional layer has a sea-island structure including a sea region formed by a binder resin and island regions formed by vanadium-dioxide-containing fine particles, a number average particle diameter of total particles including primary particles and secondary particles of the vanadium-dioxide-containing fine particles is 200 nm or less, an average value of a closest wall-to-wall distance between the island regions is in a range of 1 to 1,000 nm, and the number of the island regions having the closest wall-to-wall distance of 1,100 nm or more is 10% by number or less with respect to the total number of the island regions.

Nanopatch antennas and related methods for enhancing and tailoring are disclosed. According to an aspect, an apparatus includes a conductive material defining a substantially planar surface. The apparatus also includes a conductive nanostructure defining a substantially planar surface. The conductive material and the conductive nanostructure are positioned such that the planar surface of the conductive material faces the planar surface of the conductive nanostructure, such that the planar surfaces are substantially parallel, and such that the planar surfaces are spaced by a selected distance. The apparatus also includes an optically-active material positioned between the planar surfaces.

A method for improving the lateral resolution of fluorescence microscopy using inhomogeneous surface wave microscopy is provided. The microscope includes a prism on which laterally-interfaced plasmonic nanofilms are deposited (here called metal 1 and metal 2, though materials other than metals may be used, see Claim 1). A propagating wave which has evanescent character along one spatial dimension, known as a surface plasmon polariton, is excited on the first metal nanofilm by focusing of monochromatic incident light with a particular incident angle through the prism. Propagation of the surface plasmon polariton across the interface between the metal 1 nanofilm and the metal 2 nanofilm creates a propagating wave with evanescent character in two spatial dimensions, known as an inhomogeneous surface plasmon polariton [3]. A key property of inhomogeneous surface plasmon polaritons is the external controllability of the evanescent character of the wave in both the axial and lateral dimensions, which imparts the ability to judiciously enhance lateral resolution of conventional total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy with only minor modifications to the device.

There is provided an optical diode comprising a circular polarisation splitter, a first circular polariser and a second circular polariser. The circular polarisation splitter is arranged to receive at least partially unpolarised light and output right-handed circular polarised light along a first optical path and left-handed circular polarised light along a second optical path. The first circular polariser is arranged on the first optical path and transmits right-handed circular polarised light and reflects left-handed circular polarised light. The second circular polariser is arranged on the second optical path and transmits left-handed circular polarised light and reflects right-handed circular polarised light.

In a method for fabricating an embedded pattern using a transfer-based imprinting, an adhesive layer is formed on a substrate. The adhesive layer has a photo curable resin. A stamp having a protruded pattern is prepared. A thin-film layer is formed on an outer surface of the protruded pattern of the stamp. The stamp having the thin-film layer contact with the adhesive layer is pressed to selectively transfer the thin-film layer of the protruded pattern to the adhesive layer. Ultraviolet rays (UV) are irradiated to cure the adhesive layer. The stamp is removed.