The present disclosure concerns a device for forming a field intensity distribution in the near zone, from a propagating electromagnetic waves which are incident on said device. The device comprises: at least one layer of dielectric material, having a first refractive index n1 with a surface having at least one abrupt change of level forming a step; an element having a second refractive index n2 lower than said first refractive index n1, which is in contact with said step; and wherein said step generates a beam which is tilted compared to a propagation direction of said electromagnetic waves, and said beam having a length comprised between _1 to 10_1, with _1 being a wavelength of said electromagnetic waves in said dielectric material.

An imaging apparatus comprises: (i) an illumination waveguide configured to propagate light by total internal reflection, wherein an evanescent field illuminates an object in close relation to the illumination waveguide; (ii) an array of light-sensitive areas arranged on a common substrate with the illumination waveguide for detecting light from the object; and (iii) a controller configured to control forming of an interference pattern in the illumination waveguide, wherein the interference pattern comprises at least one element of constructive interference for selectively illuminating a portion of the object, the at least one element having a dimension with a size in a range of 100 nm-10 m; wherein the controller is configured to sequentially change the interference pattern in relation to the object such that different portions are illuminated and light from different portions is sequentially detected.

The total internal reflection microscope has an illumination optical system that relays light from a light source with a relay optical system, forms an image of the light source on the incident pupil plane of the objective lens and irradiates a sample with the illumination light via an objective lens, has an angle adjustment mirror for changing the position of the image of the light source in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis, an optical detector for detecting the intensity of the returning illumination light reflected by the sample and collected by the objective lens, and a controller for determining the operation amount of the angle adjustment mirror, wherein the controller determines the operation amount of the angle adjustment mirror so that the illumination light is totally reflected at the sample based on the change in intensity of the returning light when the angle adjustment mirror is changed.

The total internal reflection microscope has an illumination optical system that relays light from a light source with a relay optical system, forms an image of the light source on the incident pupil plane of the objective lens and irradiates a sample with the illumination light via an objective lens, has an angle adjustment mirror for changing the position of the image of the light source in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis, an optical detector for detecting the intensity of the returning illumination light reflected by the sample and collected by the objective lens, and a controller for determining the operation amount of the angle adjustment mirror, wherein the controller determines the operation amount of the angle adjustment mirror so that the illumination light is totally reflected at the sample based on the change in intensity of the returning light when the angle adjustment mirror is changed.

The present disclosure concerns a device for forming a field intensity distribution in the near zone, from a propagating electromagnetic waves which are incident on said device. The device comprises: at least one layer of dielectric material, having a first refractive index n1 with a surface having at least one abrupt change of level forming a step; an element having a second refractive index n2 lower than said first refractive index n1, which is in contact with said step; and wherein said step generates a beam which is tilted compared to a propagation direction of said electromagnetic waves, and said beam having a length comprised between _1 to 10_1, with _1 being a wavelength of said electromagnetic waves in said dielectric material.

The present disclosure concerns a device for forming a field intensity distribution in the near zone, from a propagating electromagnetic waves which are incident on said device. The device comprises: at least one layer of dielectric material, having a first refractive index n1 with a surface having at least one abrupt change of level forming a step; an element having a second refractive index n2 lower than said first refractive index n1, which is in contact with said step; and wherein said step generates a beam which is tilted compared to a propagation direction of said electromagnetic waves, and said beam having a length comprised between _1 to 10_1, with _1 being a wavelength of said electromagnetic waves in said dielectric material.

An optical detection method and an optical detection device quickly and accurately detects a micro target substance, such as an antigen, with high sensitivity by using an enhanced electric field. The optical detection device includes: one or more light irradiation units; a detection plate having a laminate structure; a prism in close optical contact to a back surface side of the detection plate and having multiple light incident surfaces with different incidence angles; and a light detection unit which is placed on the front surface side of the detection plate and which detects an optical signal from a sample. Light from the light irradiation unit enters the light incident surfaces of the prism at a fixed angle with respect to the front surface of the detection plate, and the light passing through the prism is irradiated from the back surface side of the detection plate under a total reflection condition.

An optical detection method and an optical detection device quickly and accurately detects a micro target substance, such as an antigen, with high sensitivity by using an enhanced electric field. The optical detection device includes: one or more light irradiation units; a detection plate having a laminate structure; a prism in close optical contact to a back surface side of the detection plate and having multiple light incident surfaces with different incidence angles; and a light detection unit which is placed on the front surface side of the detection plate and which detects an optical signal from a sample. Light from the light irradiation unit enters the light incident surfaces of the prism at a fixed angle with respect to the front surface of the detection plate, and the light passing through the prism is irradiated from the back surface side of the detection plate under a total reflection condition.

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.

The present disclosure concerns a device for generating and guiding nanojets beams from an incident electromagnetic wave on said device. The device is remarkable in that it comprises:a first layer of a dielectric material having a first refractive index value (n.sub.1);a second layer of a dielectric material having a second refractive index value (n.sub.2), wherein said second refractive index value is greater than said first refractive index value; and wherein a first boundary between said first and second layers comprises a first single step shape structure, said first single step shape structure being a change of level that is defined sensibly according to a first straight line being associated with an angle of inclination close to a first angle of inclination, wherein said device further comprising a dielectric element comprised in an embedding layer, said embedding layer being either said first layer or said second layer, said dielectric element having a refractive index (n.sub.3), higher than the one from said embedding layer, and wherein a second boundary between said dielectric element and said embedding layer comprises a second single step shape structure, said second single step shape structure being a change of level that is defined sensibly by a second straight line being associated with an angle of inclination close to a second angle of inclination, and wherein said second single step shape structure is positioned at the vicinity of said first single step shape structure for focusing nanojets beams generated by each of said first and second single step shape structures around a first focusing point.