| Optical uses of diamondoid-containing materials -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
 
Optical uses of diamondoid-containing materialsOptical uses of diamondoid-containing materials description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080094724, Optical uses of diamondoid-containing materials. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/621,956, filed Jul. 16, 2003, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 60/431,273 filed Dec. 6, 2002, both applications of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] Embodiments of the present invention are directed in general toward the optical uses of diamondoid-containing materials. Specifically, these devices may include solid state dye lasers, semiconductor lasers, light emitting diodes, photodetectors, photoresistors, phototransistors, photovoltaic cells, solar cells, anti-reflection coatings, lenses, mirrors, pressure windows, optical waveguides, and particle and radiation detectors. [0004] 2. State of the Art [0005] Carbon-containing materials offer a variety of potential uses in optics and optoelectronics. Elemental carbon has the electronic structure 1s.sup.22s.sup.22p.sup.2, where the outer shell 2s and 2p electrons have the ability to hybridize according to two different schemes. The so-called sp.sup.3 hybridization comprises four identical .delta. bonds arranged in a tetrahedral manner. The so-called sp.sup.2-hybridization comprises three trigonal (as well as planar) a bonds with an unhybridized p-electron occupying a .pi. orbital in a bond oriented perpendicular to the plane of the .delta. bonds. At the "extremes" of crystalline morphology are diamond and graphite. In diamond, the carbon atoms are tetrahedrally bonded with sp.sup.3-hybridization. Graphite comprises planar "sheets" of sp.sup.2-hybridized atoms, where the sheets interact weakly through perpendicularly oriented .pi. bonds. Carbon exists in other morphologies as well, including amorphous forms called "diamond-like carbon" (DLC), and the highly symmetrical spherical and rod-shaped structures called "fullerenes" and "nanotubes," respectively. [0006] Diamond is an exceptional material because it scores highest (or lowest, depending on one's point of view) in a number of different categories of properties. Not only is it the hardest material known, but it has the highest thermal conductivity of any material at room temperature. It displays superb optical transparency from the infrared through the ultraviolet, has the highest refractive index of any clear material, and is an excellent electrical insulator because of its very wide bandgap. It also displays high electrical breakdown strength, and very high electron and hole mobilities. [0007] A form of carbon not discussed extensively in the literature is the "diamondoid." Diamondoids are bridged-ring cycloalkanes that comprise adamantane, diamantane, triamantane, and the tetramers, pentamers, hexamers, heptamers, octamers, nonamers, decamers, etc., of adamantane (tricyclo[3.3.1.1.sup.3,7] decane), adamantane having the stoichiometric formula C.sub.10H.sub.16, in which various adamantane units are face-fused to form larger structures. These adamantane units are essentially subunits of diamondoids. The compounds have a "diamondoid" topology in that their carbon atom arrangements are superimposable on a fragment of an FCC (face centered cubic) diamond lattice. According to embodiments of the present invention, electron donating and withdrawing heteroatoms may be inserted into the diamond lattice, thereby creating an n and p-type (respectively) material. The heteroatom is essentially an impurity atom that has been "folded into" the diamond lattice, and thus many of the disadvantages of the prior art methods have been avoided. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] Embodiments of the present invention are directed toward an optical device comprising a diamondoid-containing material. [0009] One such device is a solid state dye laser comprising a diamondoid-containing lasing medium, an optical pumping system for delivering energy to the lasing medium, and an optical resonator for processing light emitted from the lasing medium. [0010] The solid state dye laser has a lasing medium that may comprise a diamondoid-containing host material and either at least one color center or an optically active dopant, or both, within the host material. The color center comprises at least one nitrogen heteroatom in a heterodiamondoid positioned adjacent to at least one vacancy or pore. The dopant may be a rare earth element or a transition metal, actinide, lanthanide, or combinations thereof. The dopant may be selected from the group consisting of titanium, vanadium, chromium, iron, cobalt, nickel, zinc, zirconium, niobium, cadmium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold, mercury, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, uranium, and combinations thereof. [0011] Embodiments of the present invention also include a semiconducting laser having a light emitting p-n junction comprising a p-type diamondoid-containing material positioned adjacent to an n-type material to form a p-n junction for light emission, or a light emitting p-n junction comprising a n-type diamondoid-containing material positioned adjacent to an p-type material to form a p-n junction for light emission. The semiconducting laser may further include a means for applying a forward bias across the p-n junction to cause the emission of laser light from the p-n junction. [0012] Embodiments of the present invention also include a light emitting diode comprising a diamondoid-containing material having a bandgap, and a means for generating an electric field to cause at least one electronic transition such that light is emitted from the diode. The electronic transition may occur across the bandgap. The light emitting diode may be further configured such that the electronic transition occurs without participation of electronic states within the bandgap. [0013] Embodiments of the present invention also include a photodetector comprising a diamondoid-containing material having a bandgap, and a means of processing current from at least one electronic transition that results from the absorption of light by the material. The electronic transition may occur across the bandgap. The photodetector may be further configured such that the electronic transition occurs without participation of electronic states within the bandgap. [0014] Additional embodiments include a diamondoid-containing optical device selected from the group consisting of a photoresistor, a phototransistor, a photovoltaic cell, and a solar cell. Also contemplated as diamondoid-containing optical devices are lenses, mirrors, pressure windows, and optical waveguides. [0015] An antireflection coating according to embodiments of the present invention comprises at least one alternating pair of a high refractive index diamondoid-containing layer and a low refractive index layer. [0016] Each of the optical devices disclosed herein are fabricated at least in part from a diamondoid-containing material that is selected from the group consisting of a CVD-deposited film, a molecular crystal, and a polymerized film. The material comprises at least one diamondoid selected from the group consisting of adamantane, diamantane, and triamantane, and heterodiamondoid derivatives thereof. In another embodiment, the material comprises at least one diamondoid selected from the group consisting of tetramantane, pentamantane, hexamantane, heptamantane, octamantane, nonamantane, decamantane, and undecamantane, and heterodiamondoid derivatives thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0017] FIG. 1 is an overview of the embodiments of the present invention, showing the steps of isolating diamondoids from petroleum, synthesizing diamondoid and heterodiamondoid-containing materials, and creating optical and optoelectronic devices from the diamondoid and heterodiamondoid-containing materials; [0018] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary process flow for isolating diamondoids from petroleum; [0019] FIG. 3 illustrates the relationship of a diamondoid to the diamond crystal lattice, and enumerates many of the diamondoids available by stoichiometric formula; [0020] FIG. 4 illustrates exemplary heterodiamondoids, and indicates the types of carbon positions where a heteroatom may be substitutionally positioned; Continue reading about Optical uses of diamondoid-containing materials... Full patent description for Optical uses of diamondoid-containing materials Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Optical uses of diamondoid-containing materials patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Optical uses of diamondoid-containing materials or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Optical uses of diamondoid-containing materials Next Patent Application: Method for bringing together at least two predetermined quantities of fluid and/or gas Industry Class: Optical: systems and elements ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Optical uses of diamondoid-containing materials patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.24257 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Qualcomm , Schering-Plough , Schlumberger , Seagate , Siemens , Texas Instruments , 174 |
 * Protect your Inventions * US Patent Office filing 
PATENT INFO |
|
