Patents by Inventor Zhenrong ZHANG

Zhenrong ZHANG has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11841274
    Abstract: The invention offers high resolution and accuracy for nanoscale device characterization from ultraviolet through microwave wavelengths. Instead of collecting light after emission in near-field that decays to far-field, the present invention directly couples the near-field waves to a polaritonic-coated probe. The polaritonic coating can be formed on an wavelength tuned optical fiber to receive the coupled emission and form polaritons, including plasmons, phonons, and magnons, using the polaritonic material. The polaritons propagate along the probe decay back into the fiber core without substantial losses to far-field and are transmitted to a detector, such as a spectroscope. The coupling of the near-field energy to emission detected through the tip apex of fiber can be expressed as emission spectra. Through mapping with other spatial points, multi-dimensional displays and other information can be provided. The resolution can be less than 100 nanometers, including an order of magnitude less than 100 nanometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Zhenrong Zhang, Blake Birmingham, Khant Minn
  • Publication number: 20220026281
    Abstract: The invention offers high resolution and accuracy for nanoscale device characterization from ultraviolet through microwave wavelengths. Instead of collecting light after emission in near-field that decays to far-field, the present invention directly couples the near-field waves to a polaritonic-coated probe. The polaritonic coating can be formed on an wavelength tuned optical fiber to receive the coupled emission and form polaritons, including plasmons, phonons, and magnons, using the polaritonic material. The polaritons propagate along the probe decay back into the fiber core without substantial losses to far-field and are transmitted to a detector, such as a spectroscope. The coupling of the near-field energy to emission detected through the tip apex of fiber can be expressed as emission spectra. Through mapping with other spatial points, multi-dimensional displays and other information can be provided. The resolution can be less than 100 nanometers, including an order of magnitude less than 100 nanometers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Applicant: BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Zhenrong ZHANG, Blake BIRMINGHAM, Khant MINN
  • Publication number: 20220011172
    Abstract: The invention offers high resolution and accuracy for nanoscale temperature mapping. Instead of collecting light after emission in near-field that decays to far-field, the present invention directly couples the near-field waves to a polaritonic-coated infrared probe. The polaritonic coating can be formed on an IR-tuned optical fiber to receive the coupled IR radiation and form polaritons, including plasmons or phonons, using the IR polaritonic material. The IR polaritons propagate along the probe decay back into the fiber core without substantial losses to far-field and are transmitted to a detector, such as a spectroscope. The coupling of the near-field energy to emission detected through the tip apex of fiber can be expressed as emission spectra. Through mapping with other spatial points, multi-dimensional displays and other information can be provided. The resolution can be less than 100 nanometers, such as at least an order of magnitude less than 100 nanometers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Applicant: BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Zhenrong ZHANG, Blake BIRMINGHAM, Khant MINN
  • Patent number: 11150141
    Abstract: The invention offers high resolution and accuracy for nanoscale temperature mapping. Instead of collecting light after emission in near-field that decays to far-field, the present invention directly couples the near-field waves to a polaritonic-coated infrared probe. The polaritonic coating can be formed on an IR-tuned optical fiber to receive the coupled IR radiation and form polaritons, including plasmons or phonons, using the IR polaritonic material. The IR polaritons propagate along the probe decay back into the fiber core without substantial losses to far-field and are transmitted to a detector, such as a spectroscope. The coupling of the near-field energy to emission detected through the tip apex of fiber can be expressed as emission spectra. Through mapping with other spatial points, multi-dimensional displays and other information can be provided. The resolution can be less than 100 nanometers, such as at least an order of magnitude less than 100 nanometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Baylor University
    Inventors: Zhenrong Zhang, Blake Birmingham, Khant Minn
  • Publication number: 20200386626
    Abstract: The invention offers high resolution and accuracy for nanoscale temperature mapping. Instead of collecting light after emission in near-field that decays to far-field, the present invention directly couples the near-field waves to a polaritonic-coated infrared probe. The polaritonic coating can be formed on an IR-tuned optical fiber to receive the coupled IR radiation and form polaritons, including plasmons or phonons, using the IR polaritonic material. The IR polaritons propagate along the probe decay back into the fiber core without substantial losses to far-field and are transmitted to a detector, such as a spectroscope. The coupling of the near-field energy to emission detected through the tip apex of fiber can be expressed as emission spectra. Through mapping with other spatial points, multi-dimensional displays and other information can be provided. The resolution can be less than 100 nanometers, such as at least an order of magnitude less than 100 nanometers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Zhenrong ZHANG, Blake BIRMINGHAM, Khant MINN
  • Patent number: 10145799
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system and method for a fiber-coupled, metal-tip chemical imaging spectroscopy. The system couples the electromagnetic radiation (EMR), such as laser light, through an optical fiber to a conductive tip for both EMR excitation to the sample through the conductive tip and EMR signal collection from the sample through the conductive tip. The system and method effectively eliminates the need for an optical alignment between the EMR source and the tip, and still offers the customary spatial resolution of a non-coupled system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Baylor University
    Inventors: Zhenrong Zhang, Blake Birmingham, Ho Wai Howard Lee
  • Publication number: 20180238806
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system and method for a fiber-coupled, metal-tip chemical imaging spectroscopy. The system couples the electromagnetic radiation (EMR), such as laser light, through an optical fiber to a conductive tip for both EMR excitation to the sample through the conductive tip and EMR signal collection from the sample through the conductive tip. The system and method effectively eliminates the need for an optical alignment between the EMR source and the tip, and still offers the customary spatial resolution of a non-coupled system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Applicant: BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Zhenrong ZHANG, Blake BIRMINGHAM, Ho Wai Howard LEE