Light emitting type lighting system, method of light emitting type lighting, and scanning optical microscope
Light emitter excitation light ( 108 ) of a wavelength λ 1 emitted by a light source ( 101 ) is collected on a light emitter ( 107 ) by a collective lens ( 102 ). The light emitter ( 107 ) is held on a substrate ( 104 ), and emits fluorescent light of a wavelength λ 2 when the light emitter excitation light ( 108 ) of the wavelength λ 1 is irradiated. A diameter of the light emitter ( 107 ) being formed to be smaller than the wavelength λ 2 , this fluorescent light includes evanescent waves, and advances through the substrate ( 104 ) as an object illuminating light ( 109 ) having the light emitter ( 107 ) as a point light source. A negative refraction lens ( 105 ) is disposed such that an image of the light emitter ( 107 ) is formed on a surface of an object 106 , and accordingly, not only a propagating-light component included but also a evanescent-wave component in the object illuminating light ( 109 ) is also collected simultaneously, and a minute beam spot of a size almost same as of the light emitter ( 107 ) is formed on the surface of the object ( 106 ).
1. A light emitting type lighting system comprising:
a light emitter which includes a luminescent material which emits light when an energy is applied thereon; and
an optical system which includes an optical element which is formed of a material exhibiting negative refraction, and which is for projecting a propagating-light component and an evanescent-light component in the light emitted from the light emitter, on an object,
wherein a size of the light emitter is smaller than a wavelength of the light.
2. The light emitting type lighting system according to claim 1 , wherein the light emitter is dispersed in a light emitting layer in a form of a film.
3. The light emitting type lighting system according to one of claims 1 and 2 , wherein the light emitter includes a light emitting material which emits light of a wavelength λ 2 which differs from a wavelength λ 1 when excitation light of a predetermined wavelength λ 1 is irradiated.
4. The light emitting type lighting system according to claim 1 , wherein the light emitter includes at least one of a fluorescent substance, a phosphorescent substance, a non-linear optical material, and an active material such as a laser medium.
5. The light emitting type lighting system according to claim 1 , wherein the light emitter includes a quantum dot laser, and the energy is a carrier current.
6. A scanning optical microscope comprising:
a lighting system according to claim 1 ; and
an optical detector which is capable of detecting light of a wavelength same as the light irradiated on the object.
7. The light emitting type lighting system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
one of a collective lens and an electron lens which converges the energy to the light emitter.
8. The light emitting type lighting system according to claim 7 , wherein the light emitter includes a plurality of luminescent materials, and a distance between at least one pair of adjacent luminescent materials among the plurality of luminescent materials is smaller than a size of the energy which is converged by the one of the collective lens and the electron lens.
9. The light emitting type lighting system according to claim 1 , wherein the optical element is configured to project the propagating-light component and the evanescent-light component in the light by satisfying a condition for perfect imaging.
10. The light emitting type lighting system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a shield filter which shields the light emitter excitation light disposed one of (i) at any position between a substrate and the object, and (ii) at a position of the substrate.
11. The light emitting type lighting system according to claim 1 , wherein the light emitter is a substrate which holds the luminescent material, and the luminescent material is held at a rear side of the substrate with respect to an applying source configured to apply the energy.
12. The light emitting type lighting system according to claim 1 , wherein the luminescent material is a luminous bead floating in a liquid included by the light emitter, and further comprising:
a trap-light source independent of an excitation-light source which excites the light emitter.
13. The light emitting type lighting system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an optical detector which detects a light emitted from the object by the propagating-light component and the evanescent-light component in the light projected to the object from the optical element,
wherein the optical detector has a cutting filter which cuts the light emitter excitation light.
14. A method of light emitting type lighting comprising:
a light emitting step of irradiating light by applying an energy to a light emitter which includes a light emitting material which emits light, and which is smaller than a wavelength of the light; and
a projection step of projecting on an object, a propagating-light component and an evanescent-light component in the light from the light emitter via an optical system which includes an optical element which is formed of a material exhibiting negative refraction.