Patent ID: 7586167

Claim:
A device for detecting the presence of plasmons in response to electromagnetic radiation, comprising: a substrate having first and second regions of first and second conductivity types, respectively; a voltage source establishing a voltage difference between the first and second regions; a junction region between the first and second regions having a band-gap that in an undetecting state limits current flow between the first and second regions and creates an inherent field; a plasmon source near the junction to receive the electromagnetic radiation and thereby be stimulated by the electromagnetic radiation to generate plasmons having second fields that oppose the inherent field to reduce the band-gap to enable a current to flow between the first and second regions as a detection of the presence of the plasmons, the plasmon source including a plurality of microstructures of metallic material; and a first dielectric layer formed on the first region of the substrate, the plurality of microstructures being formed into both the first region of the substrate and the first dielectric layer.