Abstract: A method of formation of nanowires at a surface of a substrate attached to a solid immersion lens. The method includes formation of a catalyst element at the surface of the substrate and growth of nanowires from the catalyst element formed at the surface of the substrate. The catalyst element is a metal nanoparticle and the formation of the catalyst element at the surface of the substrate deposits the metal nanoparticle using a light beam focused by the solid immersion lens at the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A device for trapping particles contained in a liquid (L) placed in a tank, characterized in that it comprises a substrate that is transparent at a working wavelength, a thin layer of material with non-linear optical properties that are reversible at the working wavelength and which is fixed to a first face of the transparent substrate to form all or part of at least one wall of the tank, a device for forming an optical trap which comprises a laser source which emits a laser beam and means for forming a waist of the laser beam, the laser beam being incident upon that face of the transparent substrate that lies on the opposite side to the first face and the waist of the laser beam being formed in the thin layer, an evanescent electromagnetic field forming at the surface of the thin layer.

Abstract: The invention concerns a 3D imaging device comprising a photodetector (2) matrix (M), a layer of material (1) fixed on a face of the photodetector matrix, the layer of material (1) being capable of absorbing or reflecting light, an opening (3) being formed in said layer of material at each photodetector (2), a layer of insulating material (6) fixed on said layer of material (1) capable of reflecting or absorbing light, the layer of insulating material (6) having a face surrounding, in the body thereof, a set of G waveguides (5), each waveguide (5) of the set of waveguides being positioned vertically in relation to said face, opposite an opening (3), the heights of the different waveguides, considered in relation to the face of the layer of insulating material, defining N distinct levels, N being a whole number greater than or equal to 2.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device for enhancing fluorescence comprising a support (10) carrying fluorescence enhancement means (11), the fluorescence enhancement means offering a reception surface for chemical or biological elements intended to be read by detection of a fluorescence signal emitted by a fluorophore, associated with the chemical or biological elements, under the effect of an excitation light beam. The fluorescence enhancement means (11) is made up of a thin, transparent, dielectric layer or a stack of thin, transparent, dielectric layers (12 to 16) ensuring a mirror function for the fluorescence signal and excitation light beam, the material of the thin layer or of each thin layer of the stack being chosen from among the following materials: TiO2, Ta2O5, HfO2, ZrO2, MgO, SiO2, Si3N4, MgF2 and YF3. The fluorescence enhancement device may be used for a biological or chemical optic sensor.

Abstract: A method for controlling directly and in real time positioning of a biological element on a zone of a support, in which the biological element is labeled with a tracer that emits a light radiation and the zone of the support is located in a layer of a material capable of trapping the light radiation. The biological element is positioned on the zone of the support. The intensity of the light radiation trapped in the layer is measured. The positioning of the biological element is determined by comparing the intensity thus measured with at least one reference value. The above operations can be carried out successively or simultaneously. A device can apply the method to the positioning of one or more biological elements on one or more zones of a support.

Abstract: A method for separation of particles with different sizes. The method introduces radiation in a waveguide, coupled to a second guide in a coupling area, the radiation entraining all particles towards the coupling area, and separates the particles as they pass into the coupling area.

Abstract: A method for separation of particles with different sizes. The method introduces radiation in a waveguide, coupled to a second guide in a coupling area, the radiation entraining all particles towards the coupling area, and separates the particles as they pass into the coupling area.

Abstract: A method for sorting particles, including: marking the particles to modify their optical index, placing the particles on a waveguide of a support, and injecting light radiation into the waveguide, the injecting causing displacement of particles on the waveguide and separation of the particles.

Abstract: A method and a device, using a system of plural cavity resonators, enabling to measure the light absorption or diffusion of biological samples. A measurement of low absorption or diffusion can be achieved and for example be applied for measuring the hybridization of DNA strands.

Abstract: A method for concentrating particles, including: placing the particles close to and/or on at least one waveguide of a support, and injecting light radiation into the waveguide causing grouping of particles into one or plural clusters on the waveguides.

Abstract: A method for controlling directly and in real time positioning of a biological element on a zone of a support, in which the biological element is labeled with a tracer that emits a light radiation and the zone of the support is located in a layer of a material capable of trapping the light radiation. The biological element is positioned on the zone of the support. The intensity of the light radiation trapped in the layer is measured. The positioning of the biological element is determined by comparing the intensity thus measured with at least one reference value. The above operations can be carried out successively or simultaneously. A device can apply the method to the positioning of one or more biological elements on one or more zones of a support.

Abstract: A method for sorting particles, including: marking the particles to modify their optical index, placing the particles on a waveguide of a support, and injecting light radiation into the waveguide, the injecting causing displacement of particles on the waveguide and separation of the particles.

Abstract: A method for concentrating particles, including: placing the particles close to and/or on at least one waveguide of a support, and injecting light radiation into the waveguide causing grouping of particles into one or plural clusters on the waveguides.

Abstract: The invention relates to a biochip support comprising a substrate supporting at least one porous layer of material on a first face, the said layer being designed to fix biological molecules onto the said layer and in the volume of this layer, the said support being characterized in that the said layer is a thin optical layer of material prepared by the sol-gel method and for which the refraction index is less than the refraction index of the substrate. The invention also relates to a process grafting of biological molecules onto and into the thin layer of material prepared by the sol-gel method on the first face of the biochip support.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sample support designed to support a sample which is to be detected and/or analyzed by a photothermal detection method using an irradiation pump beam irradiating the sample and a detection and/or analysis probe beam. It comprises a substrate supporting a stack of thin dielectric layers forming a Bragg mirror on which the sample will be supported, the stack of thin dielectric layers being used to reflect the pump beam that reaches it. The invention also relates to a device for detection and/or analysis of a sample by a photothermal method, the said device comprising a sample support according to the invention, a means of lighting the sample supported by the said support and supplying a pump beam, a means of detection and/or measurement of the absorption or reflection of the pump beam by the sample when it is illuminated by the said illumination means. Finally, the invention relates to a particular application of the said device.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a method as well as a device enabling in particular the absorption or the light diffusion of biological samples to be measured. It enables the measurement of low absorption or diffusion and can for example be applied for measuring the hybridization of DNA strands.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a substrate coated with a transparent organic film, to a process for the manufacture of this substrate coated with the transparent organic film and to its use. The substrate coated with a film is characterized in that the film is an electrical insulator organic polymer which is transparent in at least one wavelength range and in that the said film is combined with a label which emits at least in the said wavelength range. It has an application in particular in a means for the detection of a chemical entity, for example a biochip, in a process for the quality control, a process for the certification or a process for the authentication of an object.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sample support designed to support a sample which is to be detected and/or analysed by a photothermal detection method using an irradiation pump beam irradiating the sample and a detection and/or analysis probe beam. It comprises a substrate supporting a stack of thin dielectric layers forming a Bragg mirror on which the sample will be supported, the stack of thin dielectric layers being used to reflect the pump beam that reaches it.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device for enhancing fluorescence comprising a support (10) carrying fluorescence enhancement means (11), the fluorescence enhancement means offering a reception surface for chemical or biological elements intended to be read by detection of a fluorescence signal emitted by a fluorophore, associated with the chemical or biological elements, under the effect of an excitation light beam. The fluorescence enhancement means (11) is made up of a thin, transparent, dielectric layer or a stack of thin, transparent, dielectric layers (12 to 16) ensuring a mirror function for the fluorescence signal and excitation light beam, the material of the thin layer or of each thin layer of the stack being chosen from among the following materials: TiO2, Ta2O5, HfO2, ZrO2, MgO, SiO2, Si3N4, MgF2 and YF3.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical device and an optical process for displacement of particles (P).