Sunday, October 22, 2006

US Patent 7123359 - Optical Devices Using Nanoparticulate Fractal Medium

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7123359.pdf

Fractals are geometrical structures that exhibit scale invariance such that a part of the structure is representative of the whole structure. Fractals are common in nature and can be found in the structure of snowflakes, trees, coastlines, and various other natural shapes. This patent takes advantage of optical enhancing properties exhibited by nanoparticle aggregates that exhibit fractal properties. Claim 1 reads:

1. A light emitting apparatus comprising: at least one light source; a fractal medium; and a microcavity, wherein said medium is located in the vicinity of said microcavity.