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: This invention relates to a substrate (1) with a reception surface (4) for a layer of material to be insolated by insolation light, wherein means forming a mirror (3) are arranged between said reception surface (4) and the layer of material to be insolated, these means forming a mirror (3) operating for the wavelength of the insolation light. This type of substrate may be used for making microelectronic or microtechnological devices, or biochips.

Abstract: The invention relates to an analytical support for determining an analyte such as a DNA or RNA target, by carrying out a specific reaction of binding (hybridization) of said analyte with a ligand specific for this analyte, and determining the binding reaction by means of at least two fluorescent labels present on the analyte. This determination is carried out by applying an excitatory field and detecting the fluorescent emission of the various fluorescent labels. According to the invention, the support comprises a substrate coated with one or more layers of material(s) forming an assembly capable of decreasing or increasing the excitatory field for at least one of the fluorescent labels compared to the others. The ligands are attached to the final layer of the assembly.

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

Abstract: The invention relates to the amplification of the fluorescence emitted by an areal sample. The device (10) includes a support (11) transmitting all or part of the fluorescence signal and intended to support the areal sample (13), a thin layer (12) being interposed between the support (11) and the areal sample (13), the thin layer having a refractive index greater than the refractive index of the support and than the refractive index of the medium flooding the areal sample during a fluorescence measurement, the thickness of the thin layer being chosen so that the thin layer (12) transmits all or part of the fluorescence signal which is measured after passing through the support (12).

Abstract: The invention concerns a solid support (1) having a surface (4) for immobilizing oligonucleotides, characterized in that said surface (4) is the surface of a material (3) chosen from among HfO2, TiO2, Ta2O5, ZrO2 and a mixture comprising at least one of these materials, said surface (4) having undergone a treatment to make it hydrophilic.

Abstract: Light absorbing coating with high absorption capacity. This coating comprises at least one thin optically discontinuous metal layer (8), absorbent within a determined spectral range in the visible-near infrared range, and at least one dielectric layer (10) transparent within this range and formed on the thin layer. Application to imagery.

Abstract: The invention relates to a low-pass optical filtering device for the UV band, comprising:a dielectric stacking (14) ensuring an anti-reflective function for .lambda.<.lambda..sub.c, where .lambda..sub.c is a so-called cutoff wavelength, of less than 300 nm, a metal base (12) ensuring a reflective function for .lambda.>.lambda..sub.c.

Abstract: A high reflectivity, broad band mirror for a high flux laser and a process for producing such a mirror. The mirror includes a substrate on which is formed a metallic layer such as aluminum. A stack of layers are formed on the metallic layer. The stack includes alternating layers of two materials with the refractive index of one material being higher than that of the other. A surface layer of a third material is placed on the stack. The surface layer has a refractive index which varies in accordance with the continuous periodic profile. The mirror is formed by depositing the metallic layer on a substrate and forming the stack by an ion beam sputtering method.