Patent ID: 8389958

Claim:
A system for energy upconversion, comprising: a nanoparticle configured, upon exposure to a first wavelength λ 1 of radiation, to generate a second wavelength λ 2 of radiation having a higher energy than the first wavelength λ 1 ; and a metallic structure disposed in relation to the nanoparticle, wherein a physical characteristic of the metallic structure is set to a value where a surface plasmon resonance in the metallic structure resonates at a frequency which provides spectral overlap with either the first wavelength λ 1 or the second wavelength λ 2 or which provides spectral overlap with both the first wavelength λ 1 and the second wavelength λ 2 ; and further comprising an infrared source which produces, for said first wavelength λ 1 , a frequency of at least one of 785 nm, 808 nm, 830 nm, 852 nm, 915 nm, 940 nm, 980 nm, 1064 nm, 1310 nm, and 1550 nm.