Patent ID: 8346039

Claim:
A nanofocusing system comprising: a dielectric waveguide having two opposing ends; and a three-dimensional metal-dielectric-metal layered waveguide having two opposing ends optically aligned at one end with one end of the dielectric waveguide, wherein the three-dimensional metal-dielectric-metal waveguide tapers in at least two dimensions from the aligned end of the three-dimensional metal-dielectric-metal waveguide towards the opposing end, wherein light travelling through the dielectric waveguide is funneled in a first dimension of the at least two dimensions into the dielectric layer of the three-dimensional metal-dielectric-metal waveguide, squeezed in a second dimension of the at least two dimensions by the metal-dielectric-metal waveguide taper, and exits the three-dimensional metal-dielectric-metal waveguide as nanofocused light.