Sub-diffraction limited magneto-optical microscopy, such as Kerr or Faraday effect microscopy, provide many advantages to fields of science and technology for measuring, or imaging, the magnetization structures and magnetization domains of materials. Disclosed is a method and system for performing sub-diffraction limited magneto-optic microscopy. The method includes positioning a microlens or microlens layer relative to a surface of a sample to image the surface of the sample, forming a photonic nanojet to probe the surface of the sample, and receiving light reflected by the surface of the sample or transmitted through the sample at an imaging sensor. The methods and associated systems and devices enable sub-diffraction limited imaging of magnetic domains at resolutions 2 to 8 times the classical diffraction limit.

An optically-transparent device (100) is disclosed which comprises a main part (10) of dielectric material having a refractive index n.sub.2, said device being configured for forming a field intensity distribution in a near zone of said device from electromagnetic waves incidentally illuminating said device, when said device is embedded into a dielectric material having a refractive index n.sub.1 lower than said refractive index n.sub.2. Said device (100) further comprises at least one insert (11) of dielectric material having a refractive index n.sub.3 higher than said refractive index n.sub.2, said at least one insert being at least partly inserted into said main part, said refractive index n.sub.1 being different from said refractive index n.sub.3, and wherein Formula (I) with W.sub.2 being a half width of said insert and Formula (II), Formula (III) with W.sub.1 being a half width of said main part and Formula (IV), with λ being the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave propagating in the dielectric material having refractive index n.sub.1.

Layered coating applications for sensing telemetry are provided. An example method can include depositing, on a surface of a tool, a waveguide including a first layer of low refractive-index material, a second layer of high refractive-index material applied to a surface of the first layer, and a third layer of low refractive-index material applied to a surface of the second layer; configuring an evanescent wave interaction region on the waveguide, the evanescent wave interaction region including the first layer of low refractive-index material, the second layer of high refractive-index material, and an outer layer of low refractive-index material having a reduced thickness; configuring, at a second location of the waveguide, a non-uniformity configured to reflect light; determining characteristics of the reflected light after traveling through the evanescent wave interaction region; and based on the characteristics of light reflected by the non-uniformity, detecting characteristics of an environment of the tool.

A method and associated apparatus for generating instantaneous and uniform total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) excitation. An annular fiber bundle and is used with spatially incoherent light to provide appropriate illumination matched to parameters of the back focal plane of an oil-immersion or in-air imaging objective lens, enabling quantitative shadowless TIRF imaging.

Provided is an optical element including: a main body which is formed of a medium capable of transmitting first light and second light having a wavelength longer than that of the first light, in which the main body includes an incident region into which the first light and the second light are incident, in which a gap which is inclined with respect to the incident region and in which a medium having a refractive index with respect to the first light and the second light lower than that of the main body is disposed is provided inside the main body, and in which a gap width from an interface bordering the main body and the gap is larger than a penetration length of an evanescent wave of the first light at the interface and is smaller than a penetration length of an evanescent wave of the second light at the interface.

A calibration standard for determining an intensity decay related to an evanescent field generated close to the interface between a sample to be tested and a substrate on which the sample is to be deposited, preparation and analysis methods and use thereof.

The disclosure relates to an optically-transparent device (100) comprising a main part (10) of dielectric material having a refractive index n.sub.2. Such an optically-transparent device is configured for forming a field intensity distribution in a near zone of said device, from electromagnetic waves incidentally illuminating said device, when said device is embedded in a dielectric material having a refractive index n.sub.1 lower than said refractive index n.sub.2. Said device (100) further comprises at least one insert (11) of dielectric material having a refractive index n.sub.3 lower than said refractive index n.sub.2 and different from said refractive index n.sub.1, said at least one insert being inserted into said main part, and each one of said at least one insert and said main part having respectively an edge of a step formed by a base surface of said at least one insert or said main part and a lateral surface of said at least one insert or said main part, said base surface being defined with respect to an arrival direction of said electromagnetic wave. The disclosure also relates to a system comprising a plurality of above-described optically-transparent devices uniformly distributed within a dielectric host medium, so as to form a far-field device for far-field applications.

The disclosure relates to an optically-transparent device (100) comprising a main part (10) of dielectric material having a refractive index n.sub.2. Such an optically-transparent device is configured for forming a field intensity distribution in a near zone of said device, from electromagnetic waves incidentally illuminating said device, when said device is embedded in a dielectric material having a refractive index n.sub.1 lower than said refractive index n.sub.2. Said device (100) further comprises at least one insert (11) of dielectric material having a refractive index n.sub.3 lower than said refractive index n.sub.2 and different from said refractive index n.sub.1, said at least one insert being inserted into said main part, and each one of said at least one insert and said main part having respectively an edge of a step formed by a base surface of said at least one insert or said main part and a lateral surface of said at least one insert or said main part, said base surface being defined with respect to an arrival direction of said electromagnetic wave. The disclosure also relates to a system comprising a plurality of above-described optically-transparent devices uniformly distributed within a dielectric host medium, so as to form a far-field device for far-field applications.

An imaging system that includes an image sensor and imaging optics is provided. The image sensor has a sensing surface and it captures images of a scene. The imaging optics is optically coupled to the image sensor and is configured to form the images of the scene onto the sensing surface of the image sensor. The imaging optics includes a sensor-adjacent optical element having an exit surface located in close proximity to the sensing surface of the image sensor. The exit surface of the sensor-adjacent optical element and the sensing surface of the image sensor are spaced apart by a gap having a gap width enabling evanescent-wave coupling from the exit surface to the sensing surface for light having wavelengths within the sensor spectral range.

An imaging system that includes an image sensor and imaging optics is provided. The image sensor has a sensing surface and it captures images of a scene. The imaging optics is optically coupled to the image sensor and is configured to form the images of the scene onto the sensing surface of the image sensor. The imaging optics includes a sensor-adjacent optical element having an exit surface located in close proximity to the sensing surface of the image sensor. The exit surface of the sensor-adjacent optical element and the sensing surface of the image sensor are spaced apart by a gap having a gap width enabling evanescent-wave coupling from the exit surface to the sensing surface for light having wavelengths within the sensor spectral range.