Patent ID: 7759630

Claim:
An optical device for generating multiple near-field light sources comprising: a tee shaped aperture, fashioned in a conductive film having a thickness, said conductive film supported on a transparent dielectric material, said tee shaped aperture having a first rectangular shaped portion adjacent to a second rectangular shaped portion, said first rectangular shaped portion having a first width, said second rectangular shaped portion having a second width, said first width being measured parallel to said second width, said first width being greater than said second width, wherein a volume of said tee shaped aperture is filled with said transparent dielectric material, said volume being defined by an open cross sectional area of said tee shaped aperture and said thickness of said conductive film; a first ridge structure, extending a first portion of said conductive film into a central portion of said first rectangular shaped portion, in a first direction; and, a second ridge structure, extending a second portion of said conductive film into a central portion of said second rectangular shaped portion, in a second direction, said second direction being orthogonal to said first direction.