US Patent 7876444 Plasmonic conveyor apparatus, system and method

A plasmonic conveyor, system and method of plasmonic conveyance employ a surface plasmon that is controllably moved on a surface of a plasmonic element. The conveyor includes a first plasmonic element and a second plasmonic element that individually supports a respective surface plasmon. The conveyor further includes a controller that provides controlled movement of a location of the respective surface plasmon on a surface of the plasmonic element. The controlled movement facilitates translocation of an analyte particle around a periphery of the respective plasmonic element using a high field region of the respective surface plasmon. The system includes the conveyor and an excitation signal source that provides an excitation signal having one or both of a polarization and a frequency that are controllably variable. The method includes exciting a surface plasmon with the excitation signal and moving a location of the excited surface plasmon.