US 12,013,285 B2
High temperature near-field probe for sensing and energy harvesting applications based upon thermal emission
Paul Richard Ohodnicki, Allison Park, PA (US); and Sheng Shen, Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Assigned to UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH—OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION, Pittsburgh, PA (US); and CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY, Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Filed by UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH-OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION, Pittsburgh, PA (US); and CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY, Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Filed on Apr. 19, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/233,819.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/011,377, filed on Apr. 17, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0325241 A1, Oct. 21, 2021
Int. Cl. G01J 1/04 (2006.01); G02B 6/42 (2006.01)
CPC G01J 1/0425 (2013.01) [G02B 6/4206 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A near-field probe compatible with near-infrared electromagnetic radiation, comprising:
an optical waveguide; and
a photonic thermal emitting structure comprising a near-field thermally emissive material coupled to or part of the optical waveguide, wherein the photonic thermal emitting structure is structured and configured to emit near-field energy responsive to at least one environmental parameter of interest, and wherein the near-field probe is structured and configured to enable extraction of the near-field energy to a far-field by coupling the near-field energy into one or more guided modes of the optical waveguide, wherein the optical waveguide comprises an optical fiber having a core, wherein the photonic thermal emitting structure is provided on an end face of the core, wherein the photonic thermal emitting structure comprises a pyramid member, wherein the pyramid member includes a number of first faces made of a high temperature stable plasmonic material and a number of second faces made of an inorganic refractory dielectric material, wherein the photonic thermal emitting structure includes a nano-gap between distal ends of the number of first faces and the number of second faces, and wherein the near-field thermally emissive material is provided in the nano-gap.