Abstract: An apparatus comprises a transparent substrate (3), at least one sensor (5) for the detection of electromagnetic radiation (31), and for each sensor a corresponding mirror having a reflective surface (11). The reflective surface (11) is shaped so that electro-magnetic radiation (31) incident on the transparent substrate (3) at a specific angle, passing through the transparent substrate (3) and being reflected by the reflective surface (11) is directed towards the sensor (5). The sensor (5) comprises a two dimensional material like graphene and may be a quantum dot functionalised graphene field effect transistor. The present invention enables the incident electromagnetic radiation (31) to be focussed onto the at least one sensor (5) without the use of additional optical components like lenses or microlenses. This may enable focussed images to be obtained by the apparatus.

Abstract: A composite nanoparticle (1) comprises an inner core (3) made of a transparent dielectric material, a first coating layer (5) made of a plasmonic material which overlays the inner core (3) and a second coating layer (7) made of a semiconductor material overlaying the first coating layer (5). Incident light is absorbed by generating surface plasmons at a boundary (4) between the inner core (3) and the first coating layer (5) and at a boundary (6) between the first coating layer (5) and the second coating layer (7) in order to increase the light absorption and thus the exciton generation by the second coating layer (7). The structure of composite particle (1) also allows for tuning of the resonance of the surface plasmons which tunes the frequency of light, or other electromagnetic radiation, that is detected.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a transparent substrate (3), at least one sensor (5) for the detection of electromagnetic radiation (31), and for each sensor a corresponding mirror having a reflective surface (11). The reflective surface (11) is shaped so that electro-magnetic radiation (31) incident on the transparent substrate (3) at a specific angle, passing through the transparent substrate (3) and being reflected by the reflective surface (11) is directed towards the sensor (5). The sensor (5) comprises a two dimensional material like graphene and may be a quantum dot functionalised graphene field effect transistor. The present invention enables the incident electromagnetic radiation (31) to be focussed onto the at least one sensor (5) without the use of additional optical components like lenses or microlenses. This may enable focussed images to be obtained by the apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) comprising a substrate (2) and an antenna (20). The antenna (20) comprising a first conductive element (21) having a first electrical length and connected to a first antenna terminal (31) and a second conductive element (22) having a second electrical length connected to a second antenna terminal (32), wherein at least the first conductive element is supported by a first portion of the substrate (11) and wherein at least the first portion of the substrate is configured to deform from a first configuration to a second configuration to: change the first electrical length of the first conductive element relative to the second electrical length of the second conductive element; and add or remove at least one operational resonant mode of the antenna.

Abstract: An apparatus (517) comprising first and second plasmonic nanoparticles (502a, 502b) connected to one another by a deformable member (518), the first and second plasmonic nanoparticles each configured to exhibit a respective plasmon resonance when exposed to incident electromagnetic radiation (203), wherein, in a first configuration, the first and second plasmonic nanoparticles are in sufficient proximity to one another that their respective plasmon resonances can interact to produce a resulting plasmon resonance, and wherein mechanical deformation of the deformable member causes a variation in the relative position of the plasmonic nanoparticles to a second configuration to produce a detectable change in the resulting plasmon resonance of the first configuration which can be used to determine said mechanical deformation.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of forming an apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a graphene field effect transistor where the graphene field effect transistor comprises a graphene channel and quantum dots provided overlaying the graphene channel, wherein the quantum dots comprise a first layer comprising quantum dots connected to a first ligand and a second layer comprising quantum dots connected to a second ligand, and wherein the first ligand is configured to cause the first layer to have a first refractive index and the second ligand is configured to cause the second layer to have a second refractive index wherein the second refractive index is different to the first refractive index.

Abstract: A composite nanoparticle (1) comprises an inner core (3) made of a transparent dielectric material, a first coating layer (5) made of a plasmonic material which overlays the inner core (3) and a second coating layer (7) made of a semiconductor material overlaying the first coating layer (5). Incident light is absorbed by generating surface plasmons at a boundary (4) between the inner core (3) and the first coating layer (5) and at a boundary (6) between the first coating layer (5) and the second coating layer (7) in order to increase the light absorption and thus the exciton generation by the second coating layer (7). The structure of composite particle (1) also allows for tuning of the resonance of the surface plasmons which tunes the frequency of light, or other electromagnetic radiation, that is detected.

Abstract: According to the present disclosure there is provided a method, apparatus and computer program for controlling a focusing mechanism. In various examples of the method, at least one measurement is received of the polarization of light reflected from at least one surface; and a focusing mechanism is controlled dependent, at least in part, on the at least one polarization measurement.

Abstract: An apparatus (517) comprising first and second plasmonic nanoparticles (502a, 502b) connected to one another by a deformable member (518), the first and second plasmonic nanoparticles each configured to exhibit a respective plasmon resonance when exposed to incident electromagnetic radiation (203), wherein, in a first configuration, the first and second plasmonic nanoparticles are in sufficient proximity to one another that their respective plasmon resonances can interact to produce a resulting plasmon resonance, and wherein mechanical deformation of the deformable member causes a variation in the relative position of the plasmonic nanoparticles to a second configuration to produce a detectable change in the resulting plasmon resonance of the first configuration which can be used to determine said mechanical deformation.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) comprising a substrate (2) and an antenna (20). The antenna (20) comprising a first conductive element (21) having a first electrical length and connected to a first antenna terminal (31) and a second conductive element (22) having a second electrical length connected to a second antenna terminal (32), wherein at least the first conductive element is supported by a first portion of the substrate (11) and wherein at least the first portion of the substrate is configured to deform from a first configuration to a second configuration to: change the first electrical length of the first conductive element relative to the second electrical length of the second conductive element; and add or remove at least one operational resonant mode of the antenna.