Optical sensors diffraction

The resolution of a conventional microcope is limited by the classical phenomena of interference and diffraction. The limit is approximately X/2, X being the wavelength. This limit can be overcome by using a sub-wavelength light source and by placing the sample very close to this source (i.e. in the near field). The relevant domain is near-field optics (as opposed to far-field conventional optics), which has been applied to microscopy, spectroscopy and optical sensors. In particular, nearfield scanning optical microscopy (N SOM) has proved to be a powerful tool in physical, chemical and life sciences (Dunn, 1999). 

Another nice example of nanostructuring an MIP layer is the work published by Wu et al. [138, 139] who developed a label-free optical sensor based on molecularly imprinted photonic polymers. Photonic crystals were prepared by self-assembly of silica nanospheres. The space between the spheres was then filled with MIP precursor solution. After polymerization, the silica was dissolved, leaving an MIP in the form of a 3D-ordered interconnected macroporous inverse polymer opal (Fig. 15). The authors were able to detect traces of the herbicide atrazine at low concentrations in aqueous solution [139]. Analyte adsorption into the binding sites resulted in a change in Bragg diffraction of the polymer characterized by a color modification (Fig. 15). 

The method of manipulating these ultrathin trilayer solid-fluid-solid films is likely to depend on the final application of the film. These films could find application as a method of testing the mechanical properties of the thin solid layers [12, 38]. Furthermore, the creation of regular corrugated structures could lead to optical applications, such as diffraction grating or optical sensors [12]. However, the unique feature of these ultrathin solid-fluid-solid films (over other thin-film systems) is the final structures that consist of isolated pockets of fluid. It would, therefore, be highly desirable to exhibit some control over these pockets and guide the structures to form ordered channels of fluid. 

An attractive feature of fiber sensors is the possibility of performing in vivo tests and monitoring. Numerous fiber-optic sensors have already been described that measure physical parameters of the human body [41]. Pressure, temperature, physiological flow, strain, motion, displacement, or flow velocity can be monitored by optical methods such as variable reflection, laser Doppler velocimetry, optical holography, or diffraction. In this section the application of optosensing methods to the determination of molecular species encountered in clinical and biomedical analysis is described. 

Several methods are used for the determination of the "active" zones in a vessel. These include optical (light diffraction), chemical, electrical, or mechanical (metal foil perforation), the measurement of local temperature increase (silicone-coated thermocouple), microdiffusion sensor, microvibration thermal sensor, microphones, or sonoluminescence.45 The principle of the latter consists of the oxidative degradation of luminol to aminophthalate under the action of the hydroxyl radical produced by water sonolysis. Aminophthalate is produced in an... 

Eshel G, Levy GJ, Mingelgrin U, Singer MJ (2004) Critical evaluation of the use of laser diffraction for particle-size distribution analysis. Soil Sd Am J 68 736—743 Farag HI, Ege PE, GrisUngas A, de Lasa HI (1997) Flow patterns in a pilot plant-scale turbulent fluidized bed reactor concurrent application of tracers and fiber optic sensors. Can J Chem Eng 75 851-860... 

Surface plasmon resonance sensors can be also constructed using optical fibers13, u, integrated optical waveguides15, and diffraction gratings16. 

Colloidal crysfals can be viewed as the mesoscopic counterpart of atomic or molecular crystals. They have been used to explore diverse phenomena such as crystal growth [52-54] and glass transition [55,56], and have many interesting applications for sensors [57], in catalysis [58,59], advanced coatings [60], and for optical/electro-optical devices for information processing and storage [61,62]. In particular, their unusual optical properties, namely the diffraction of visible light and the existence of a photonic stop band, make them ideal candidates for the development of photonic materials [61,63-66]. They may lead to the fabrication... 

The fabrication process of vanadium oxide (VO2) has also been studied using RBS/C. Since optieal and electrical properties of VO2 are dramatically changed at 68°C due to phase transition, VO2 is regarded as one of the candidates for thermally activated electronic or optical switching devices for optieal fibers or sensors. To obtain the desired properties, the development of the fabrication process for very thin films, without crystalline defects on various substrates, is required. Single-crystalline VO2 thin films on (0001) plane of a sapphire substrate have been synthesized by a laser ablation method. The quality of VO2 was examined by X-ray diffraction and RBS/C method. The eleetrieal resistanee and the optical transmittance of the VO2 film were measured under inereasing and deereasing temperatures. At a temperature of 68 °C, an abrupt transition of resistanee from metal to... 

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