DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
[0018] Diverse physical phenomena producing VIS photons, electrons, and ions
at ambient temperature in related art include sonoluminescence,
triboluminescence, flow electrification, static electricity, and atmospheric
electricity.
[0019] In the drawings:
[0020] FIGS. 1 and 2
are an illustration of the QED process of cavity QED induced
VUV light operating in the nucleation of bubbles during the acoustic cavitation
of liquid water, known in the prior art as sonoluminescence, heretofore an
unexplained phenomenon;
[0021] FIG. 3
is a graph showing the average Planck energy E
avg of an atom represented by a harmonic
oscillator as a function of the wavelength λ of thermal kT energy at an ambient
temperature of 300 K;
[0022] FIG. 4
is a graph illustrating the Planck energy produced by cavity
QED induced VUV light on the surface of the bubble wall of radius R from
sonoluminescence in water;
[0023] FIGS. 5 - 11
illustrate how other physical phenomena in the related art
may be explained by the cavity QED induced VUV light disclosed in the present
invention. One such phenomenon is triboluminescence. FIGS. 5 and 6 depict the
emission of electrons and VIS light from the fracture and crushing of solids.
FIG. 7
depicts QED induced VUV light at play in flow electrification,
known in prior art by the electrical charge buildup in jet fuel and automobile
gasoline. FIG. 8
shows the VUV light producing electrons in static electricity
that has been unexplained since the early Greeks. FIGS. 9
- 11 illustrate stages in
the QED induced VUV light process that produces the electrical charge in
atmospheric electricity. It will become readily apparent to those versed in the
art that the finding of QED induced VUV light is a discovery of fundamental
importance in physics.
[0024] Sonoluminescence
[0025] Sonoluminescence is the production of coherent VIS light during the
acoustic cavitation of water. Currently, sonoluminescence is thought produced by
high temperatures caused by compression heating of bubble gases during collapse.
However, except for traces of air and other non-condensable gases, the bubble
gases are condensable water vapor. Water vapor in 2-phase equilibrium with the
bubble walls maintains ambient temperature and vapor pressure as the bubble
volume vanishes. Thus, high temperatures in bubble collapse do not occur and
some mechanism other than high temperatures is necessary to explain
sonoluminescence. The present invention produces sonoluminescence by cavity QED
induced VUV light at ambient temperature. Sonoluminescence is prior art and not
patentable, but QED devices that rely on cavity QED induced VUV light to produce
VIS light are novel and patentable.
[0026] FIGS. 1 and 2
illustrate how cavity QED induced VUV light produces
sonoluminescence. FIG. 1
shows liquid water in a state of hydrostatic compression at
ambient pressure P. A hypothetical spherical volume of radius Ro is depicted. At
ambient temperature T, all water molecules in the continuum emit IR radiation
having a long wavelength compared to the size of the hypothetical volume. If the
liquid continuum is perturbed to produce a state of hydrostatic tension, a
bubble nucleates as shown in FIG. 2 . Because of surface tension S, the
size of the bubble can not be less than a prescribed limit. Hence, the expanding
liquid bubble wall 1 of radius R separates
from a tightly bound spherical particle 2 of
water molecules at liquid density, the particle depicted by the hypothetical
radius R 0 =2S/P. For water having a surface
tension S of 0.072 N/m at atmospheric pressure, R 0
˜1.44 microns. The formation of the spherical particle is
almost instantaneous and produces an annular gap 3
between the surfaces of the particle and bubble wall.
[0027] Prior to nucleation, the water molecules in the liquid continuum under
hydrostatic compression emit N dof ×½ kT of EM
radiation, where k is Boltzman's constant, T is the absolute temperature, and N
dof is the number of degrees of freedom. For
water, N dof =6. At ambient temperature, the
EM radiation is emitted from the continuum at IR frequencies. But at the instant
the particle separates from the bubble wall, the bubble is a 3-dimensional QED
cavity having a high EM resonant frequency that suppresses the low frequency IR
radiation from the water molecules in the particle.
[0028] Generally, suppressed radiation by cavity QED occurs as the frequency
of the radiation emitted from the atoms within a cavity is lower than the EM
resonant frequency of the cavity (for example, see Harouche and Raimond, “Cavity
quantum electrodynamics”, Scientific American
, 1993, pp. 54-62). Simply stated, the only EM radiation
that can stand in the bubble is required to have a half wavelength ½ λ less than
the bubble diameter 2R, where, R is the bubble radius. Thus, the resonant
wavelength λ c is, λ c
=4R. Conversely, EM radiation is suppressed for λ>λ
c . However, the bubble surface is required to
be highly reflective to achieve the optical quality for suppressing IR radiation
by cavity QED. Water is opaque (and highly reflective) at IR wavelengths λ>3
microns. But this condition is nicely satisfied in sonoluminescence, as the
bubble nucleates at a radius R˜R 0 having a
resonant IR wavelength λ 0 =4 R
0 ˜6 microns where water is highly reflective.
[0029] The amount of thermal kT energy suppressed at ambient temperature is
given by the harmonic oscillator and depends on the wavelength λ of the IR
radiation. FIG. 3
shows the average Planck energy E avg
at ambient temperature to only be significant at IR
wavelengths λ >10 microns, saturation occurring at kT˜0.025 eV for λ>100
μm. About 4% of the available thermal kT energy is contained at λ<10 microns,
and therefore if the particle radius R 0
<¼λ˜2.5 microns at the instant of separation, the IR
radiation suppressed is greater than 96% of the available thermal kT energy.
[0030] Provided the spherical particle of water molecules has a radius R
0 <2.5 microns, the suppressed IR energy U
IR is, 1
[0031] where, Ψ is the EM energy density, Ψ˜N dof
×½ kT/Δ 3 and Δ is the
spacing between water molecules at liquid density, Δ˜3.1 angstroms.
[0032] Suppressed IR radiation is a loss of EM energy that is conserved by
the spontaneous emission of IR radiation, the spontaneous emission absorbed by
the bubble surface because of its high optical quality provided by the water
molecule at IR frequencies. But the annular gap is resonant at VUV frequencies,
and therefore the Planck energy in the gap increases with frequency from the IR
to the VUV. The Planck energy in the gap is reduced because of the leakage of
photons in the VIS, but does not detract from the production of VUV light. In
this way, sonoluminescence produces VUV light in the annular gap from the cavity
QED induced spontaneous emission of IR radiation at ambient temperature.
[0033] During spontaneous emission, the IR energy accumulates as multi-IR
photon energy at the cavity radius R. If all the available EM energy U
IR suppressed during nucleation is conserved
with the Planck energy E of the surface molecules at bubble radius R, 2
[0034] At T˜300 K and a particle radius R 0
˜1.44 microns, the Planck energy E accumulated by multi-IR
photons at radius R˜R ) is about 120 eV and
decreases with increasing radius as shown in FIG. 4 .
[0035] In sonoluminescence, the coherent VIS light observed from bubbles in
water is generally not thought produced by photoluminescence of the water by VUV
radiation, but rather as Ar*OH excimers decompose in the high pressures
developed in bubble collapse. In cavity QED induced sonoluminescence, the
excited OH states necessary to form the Ar*OH excimers are produced following
the dissociation of water molecules in the annular gap into hydronium H
3 O + and
hydroxyl OH − ions by cavity QED induced VUV
light.
[0036] The multi-IR photon energy at radius R may be quantified by the number
N VUV of VUV photons having sufficient Planck
energy E VUV to dissociate the water molecule
and raise the hydroxyl ion to excited *OH states, 3
[0037] where, E VUV =N IR
kT and N IR is the number of
multi-IR photons. The number N OH of OH ions
formed from the cavity wall depends on the hydroxyl yield γ OH
by,
N OH =γ OH
N VUV (4)
[0038] At VUV frequencies, the yield γ p is
unity. Taking the dissociation of water to occur at E VUV
˜4.9 eV and a particle radius R 0
˜1.44 microns, the number of ions N OH
˜6.6×10 9 .
[0039] Argon dissolved in the water combines with the excited hydroxyl states
to form the Ar*OH excimers by the mole fraction solubility φ˜2.75×10
−5 . Hence, the number N Ar*OH
of Ar*OH excimers is, N Ar*OH
>φN OH ˜1.8×10
5 . In bubble collapse, high pressures develop
in the collision of the bubble walls, the magnitude of pressure proportional to
the size of the bubble prior to collapse, e.g., a bubble radius of about 35
microns develops a collapse pressure of about 200 bars. At this pressure, argon
excimers decompose giving one VIS photon per excimer, or 1.8×10
5 VIS photons. This is consistent with the
experimental standard unit of sonoluminescence, i.e., the 2×10 5
VIS photons found for the collapse of a typical bubble in air
saturated water.
[0040] Cavity QED induced sonoluminescence is optimal for liquid water. Weak
sonoluminescence is observed from liquid helium and nitrogen as low surface
tension limits the size of the particle at nucleation that controls the number
of atoms that spontaneously emit thermal kT energy, but also because of the low
thermal kT energy at cryogenic temperatures. Water is the optimum liquid for the
QED device because water has a high surface tension while still providing
significant thermal kT energy even at ambient temperature.
[0041] Triboluminescence
[0042] Unlike sonoluminescence that occurs in the liquid state, electrons and
VIS light in triboluminescence is emitted from materials as they fracture under
tension or crush under compression. Triboluminescence is known from the prior
art and is not patentable, but the QED process of cavity QED induced VUV light
to produce triboluminescence is novel and patentable.
[0043] Triboluminescence by fracture under tension of a material by crack
growth as the opening of gap g between fragments is depicted in FIG. 5 . Cracks open during
periods the crack tip is subjected to hydrostatic tension, the crack growth
process providing a flow of microscopic particles 4
from the crack tip 5 ,
the particles 4 comprising atoms and
molecules at solid density. FIG. 6 depicts platens 6
crushing material 7 .
Crushing acts to close cracks to microscopic dimensions, the crushing process
reducing fragments to particle sizes comparable to the dimensions of the space
between platens.
[0044] Fracture and crushing as QED processes treat the microscopic gaps
between fragments as 1-dimensional QED cavities having a EM resonant wavelength
λ c ˜2 g, where g is the gap dimension in
FIGS. 5 and 6
. QED processes in triboluminescence produce EM energy from
the spontaneous emission of IR radiation at the instant the particles separate
from the fragments in fracture, or as the fragments close on the particles
during crushing.
[0045] Prior to fracture or crushing, atoms and molecules in the solid state
emit N dof ×½ kT of EM radiation. For most
solid state materials, N dof ˜3. Similar to
the liquid state, the EM radiation from the continuum in the solid state is
emitted as IR radiation at ambient temperature as shown in FIG. 3 .
[0046] Since the space in the gap g between crack and fragment faces has a
high EM resonant frequency, the low frequency IR radiation from the atoms in the
separated particle is momentarily suppressed. Suppressed IR radiation is a loss
of EM energy that must be conserved, and therefore the EM energy is
spontaneously emitted as multi-IR photons that accumulate to VUV levels in the
atoms and molecules of fragment surfaces. For a particle of radius R
0 , the Planck energy E at a distance X from
the center of the particle, 4
[0047] Taking R 0 ˜1 micron and Δ˜3
angstroms, the Planck energy E at the particle surface is about 40 eV. The
number N VIS of VIS photons produced depends
on the photoluminescence yield γ pl and the
number of N VUV of VUV photons,
N VIS =γ
pl N VUV (6)
[0048] In triboluminescence, the VIS light observed from fracture of the
solid state is the result of the cavity QED induced VUV light, the VIS light
produced from the excitation of gases in the crack and by the photoluminescence
of the solid state materials forming the crack surfaces.
[0049] Flow Electrification
[0050] In the flow of jet fuels and automobile gasoline, the fuel is
electrified posing a danger caused by discharge of the charge buildup. Flow
electrification is known from the prior art and is not patentable, but the QED
process of cavity QED induced VUV light to produce flow electrification is novel
and patentable.
[0051] FIG. 7
illustrates the QED induced flow electrification. Protrusions
8 in the pipe wall perturb the flow
9 to cause low-pressure regions. In QED
induced flow electrification, the QED cavities are microscopic bubbles
10 that nucleate in the low-pressure
regions. Because of surface tension, the nucleation produces a spherical
particle 11 of fuel molecules at liquid
density. Fluids that electrify including aviation fuel and automobile gasoline
are insulators having low electrical conductivity, thereby permitting the
buildup of electrical charge. In contrast, water has an electrical conductivity
about 7 orders of magnitude greater than fuels, i.e., charge buildup does not
occur in water during acoustic cavitation. In the flow of insulator fuels,
cavity QED induced VUV light charges the fluid positive by the liberation of
electrons by the photoelectric effect.
[0052] Prior to nucleation, the fluid molecules in the liquid continuum under
hydrostatic compression emit N dof ×½ kT of EM
radiation, which at ambient temperature is emitted from the continuum as IR
radiation. For fuels, N dof ˜6. But at the
instant the particle separates from the bubble, the low frequency IR radiation
from the fluid molecules in the particle is suppressed as the bubble has a high
EM resonant frequency. Suppressed IR radiation is a loss of EM energy that is
conserved by the spontaneous emission of IR radiation that accumulates to VUV
levels on the bubble surface. For a particle of radius R 0
, the Planck energy E on the bubble wall at a distance R from
the center of the particle, 5
[0053] where, the particle radius R 0
˜2S/P. For fuels, S˜0.02 N/m. At atmospheric pressure, R
0 ˜0.4 microns. For n-Heptane having a
molecular weight of 100 and density 684 kg/m 3
,Δ˜6.2 angstroms, the Planck energy E at the particle surface
is about 16 eV.
[0054] The number N e of electrons produced
by a single bubble from the VUV irradiation of the bubble wall depends on the
electron yield γ e by,
N e =γ e
N VUV (8)
[0055] where, the number of VUV photons N VUV
˜1.77×10 7 from Eqn. (3).
For γ e >0.0001, N e
>2000 with an equivalent number of charged molecular states
in the fluid.
[0056] In flow electrification, the charged fluid and electrons are the
result of the cavity QED induced photoelectric effect, the electrons produced by
the VUV irradiation of the bubble wall at the instant of bubble nucleation.
[0057] Static Electricity
[0058] Since the time of the early Greeks, static electricity is a well-known
phenomenon in the prior art and not patentable, but the QED process of cavity
QED induced VUV light to produce static electricity is novel and patentable.
[0059] FIG. 8
illustrates the cavity QED induced static electricity.
Microscopic gaps g that open and close as materials 13
and 14 are made to
contact each other are 1-dimensional QED cavities. Particles 15
that are part of material 13
rub off to produce free particle 16
in the gap, although the free particle 16
may be present in the surroundings as the QED cavity opens or
closes. Otherwise, QED induced static electricity process and triboluminescence
are similar.
[0060] Prior to confinement in the QED cavity, the atoms in the particles
have N dof ×½ kT of EM energy, which at
ambient temperature is emitted as IR radiation. But at the instant the 1-D
cavities open or close to an EM resonant wavelength λ c
<10 microns, or gap g <5 microns, the low frequency IR
radiation from the water molecules in the particle is suppressed. To conserve EM
energy, the suppressed IR radiation is spontaneously emitted and accumulates to
VUV levels on the adjacent material surfaces.
[0061] In cavity QED induced static electricity, the VUV radiation produces
electrons from the contacting materials by the photoelectric effect. The number
N e of electrons produced from the VUV
irradiation of the particles depends on the electron yield γ e
of the materials [see Eqn. (6)] and the number N
vuv of VUV photons [see Eqn.(3)]. For
dissimilar materials irradiated with VUV light, both materials lose electrons.
But the material with the highest electron yield per VUV photon loses more
electrons than it gains and charges positive, the one gaining a net number of
electrons is charged negative.
[0062] Atmospheric Electricity
[0063] In atmospheric electricity, storms producing lightning and thunder are
well-known from the prior art and not patentable, but the QED process of cavity
QED induced VUV light to produce atmospheric electricity is novel and
patentable.
[0064] FIGS. 9 - 11
illustrate cavity QED induced atmospheric electricity.
FIG. 9
shows a microscopic bubble 17
nucleates around a central particle 18
during the large volume expansion in graupel, the graupel a
liquid-ice mixture that forms as moisture carried by updrafts of the storm
supercools at high altitudes. Bubble nucleation produces VUV light by cavity QED
induced spontaneous emission that dissociates the water molecules in the annular
gap 19 between the particle and bubble
surfaces into hydronium and hydroxyl ions. Unlike sonoluminescence where little
air is drawn into the expanding bubble because of the short time available at
acoustic frequencies, graupel expansion is prolonged allowing air
20 to be drawn into the bubbles.
[0065] Ionic charge separation occurs by the pH of the raindrops. Typically,
rainwater has an acid pH, and therefore the bubble particle and walls carry a
positive background charge. The cavity QED produced hydronium ions are repulsed
to the bubble vapor while the companion hydroxyl ions are attracted to the
surfaces of the particle and the bubble wall.
[0066] The hydronium and hydroxyl ions react with water and nitrogen
molecules to form positive charge proton-hydrate (PH) and negative charge
non-proton-hydrate (NPH) clusters.
[0067] The graupel volume contracts to collapse the bubbles as depicted in
FIG. 10 .
But the water vapor is not compressed because it is a condensable vapor in
2-phase equilibrium with the liquid bubble walls. Only the air drawn into the
graupel after nucleation is compressed to a high pressure. Hence, air with PH
vapor 21 is forced out of the graupel, the
vapor promptly forming positive charged micro-droplets; whereas, the NPH ions
are attracted to the graupel.
[0068] FIG. 11
shows the graupel later falling to the earth, the NPH ions
subliming as a negative charged vapor. Charge separation that began at bubble
nucleation is completed by the formation of light PH cluster clouds that remain
buoyant in the stratosphere while the heavier NPH clouds fall to the earth.
[0069] In cavity QED induced atmospheric electricity, cloud-to-ground
lightning is caused by the discharge of negative charge NPH clouds with the
positive charge earth; whereas, cloud-to-cloud lightning is caused by discharge
between the negative charged NPH clouds and positive charge PH clouds.
[0077] Ultrasonic Lamp and Battery
[0078] In one preferred embodiment, cavity QED induced VUV light is used in a
QED device to produce VIS light in an ultrasonic lamp.
[0079] FIG. 12
illustrates the cavity QED induced ultrasonic VIS lamp. A
transparent container 25 houses a large
number of microscopic solid particles 26 in
liquid water 27 . The particles are
essentially spherical and fabricated from a metal oxide, such as zinc oxide or
the like having a high photoluminescence yield of VIS photons at VUV
frequencies. Acoustic crystals 28 the
container in orthogonal directions to immerse the particles 26
in a spherical acoustic field.
[0080] During periods of hydrostatic tension in the acoustic cycle, the
bubbles 29 having a radius R nucleate in the
liquid around the solid particles of radius R 0
. In contrast, the particle in sonoluminescence is comprised
solely of water molecules at liquid density formed by surface tension. Metal
oxides are hydrophobic in water, and therefore the nucleation process in the
ultrasonic lamp exposes a dry surface. An annular gap 30
promptly forms between the particle and bubble wall surfaces,
providing the particle radius R o is slightly
less than the surface tension radius for water, i.e., R 0
<2S/P˜1.44 microns. Hence, particles 26
are required to have a diameter radius 2R 0
<2.88 microns.
[0081] Prior to nucleation, the metal oxide molecules in the particle emit N
dof ×½ kT of EM radiation. At ambient
temperature, EM radiation is emitted from the particle as IR radiation. But at
the instant the bubble wall separates from the particle, the bubble having a
high EM resonant frequency suppresses the low frequency IR radiation from the
metal oxide molecules in the particle. Suppressed IR radiation is a loss of EM
energy that is conserved by the spontaneous emission of IR radiation. Hence, the
IR photons are absorbed [see Eqn. 3] because of the high optical quality of the
QED cavity provided by the absorption of the water molecule at IR frequencies.
Subsequently, the VUV resonance of the annular gap [see Eqn. 6] excites the
surface of the particles at VUV frequencies.
[0082] In the cavity QED acoustic lamp, VIS light is produced by
photoluminescence of the metal oxide particles by the cavity QED induced VUV
light from the spontaneous emission of IR radiation.
[0083] The QED acoustic lamp may be converted to a QED acoustic battery by
replacing the water 27 with liquid n-Heptane
having a low electrical conductivity, the electrons produced from the n-Heptane
from the cavity QED induced VUV light by photoelectric effect.
[0084] Microsphere Light Source
[0085] In another preferred embodiment, cavity QED induced VUV light is used
in a microsphere light source.
[0086] FIG. 13
shows the solid particle 33
of radius R 0 encapsulated
by an IR transparent solid 35 within a shell
34 having radius R. Both particle
33 and shell 34
are fabricated from zinc oxide having high photoluminescence
yield. The particle 33 is encapsulated in
silicon 35 that is transparent in the IR
from about 1 to 20 microns.
[0087] In macroscopic cavities absent cavity QED effects, the particle
33 gains and loses heat Q the usual way by
conduction with the shell 34 as shown in
FIG. 7 (
a ). However, cavity QED effects modify
the heat transfer by including the rapid loss of thermal kT energy by
spontaneous emission of EM radiation hυ compared to the slow heat Q loss by
conduction. Heat Q gained by the particle by conduction is promptly lost by the
spontaneous emission of EM radiation hυ. The QED device finds application as a
steady QED laser or thermoelectric device driven by the temperature of the
surroundings.
[0088] Microspheres fabricated with the particles 33
in a vacuum without a solid IR transparent material
35 are depicted to be vibrated in
FIG. 14 and
15 . A vacuum requires intermittent contact
to transfer heat from the shell 34 to the
particle 33 . FIG. 14 shows microspheres
in a transparent container 36 vibrated
manually by hand 37 to produce VIS light.
FIG. 15
shows a concave optical lens 38
coated with a microsphere layer excited by an acoustic drive
39 to produce a beam of VIS light focussed
at point 40 .
[0089] Provided the gap between the particle 33
and the shell 34 is IR
transparent, the shells 34 are prescribed to
have a radius R <2.5 microns, or a wavelength λ<10 microns consistent with
the suppression of IR radiation at ambient temperature as shown in
FIG. 2 .
Suppressed IR radiation is spontaneously emitted by cavity QED provided the
particle is separate from the microsphere.
[0090] For a silicon 35 encapsulated
particle 33 , the QED induced VUV light
produces a number of VUV photons [see Eqn. 3] that are converted to VIS light
[see Eqn. 6] by photoluminescence, e.g., for a microsphere of zinc oxide, a VIS
green light is produced. In the alternative particle 33
encapsulated in an evacuated shell 34
provided with a filler gas, the VUV light excites the filler
gas, which if nitrogen produces blue VIS light.
[0091] Thermal Laser and Thermoelectric Battery
[0092] In still another preferred embodiment, cavity QED induced VUV light is
used to provide a steady QED thermal laser and thermoelectric battery.
[0093] The VIS laser shown in FIG. 16 comprises optical quartz windows
50 about 1 cm in diameter separated to form
a 1-dimensional QED cavity having a gap g of about 5 microns, thereby providing
the suppression of IR radiation at wavelength λ>2 g˜10 microns. The interior
window surfaces 51 are coated with metal
oxide, such as zinc oxide or the like having a high photoluminescence yield of
VIS photons at VUV frequencies. A zinc oxide powder 52
having a diameter 2R 0
<3 microns is provided in the gap. The QED cavity carries a
filler gas 53 , such as nitrogen.
[0094] FIG. 17
depicts the cavity QED thermoelectric battery that except for
the window coating materials is otherwise identical to the QED thermal laser
shown in FIG. 8
( a ). The QED
thermoelectric battery requires one coating 54
to have a high photoelectric yield while the other
55 is reflective at VUV frequencies to
optimize the potential difference and electron yield between the materials.
[0095] In both QED laser and thermoelectric battery, thermal energy from the
surroundings is converted to a continuous steady low-level source of VIS light
or electrons. Heat is transferred by convection from the windows
50 to the powder 52
by collisions of the filler gas molecules with to maintain
the zinc oxide powder 52 at ambient
temperature, the heat compensating for the loss of IR radiation by spontaneous
emission induced by cavity QED.
[0096] In the QED thermal laser, the powder atoms spontaneously convert
thermal kT energy to VUV light [see Eqn. 3]. The QED thermal laser produces VIS
light from the metal oxide coated windows, e.g., zinc oxide produces a green
light by photoluminescence [sse Eqn. 6]. In the alternative, the VUV light
excites the filler gas, e.g., nitrogen produces blue VIS light.
[0097] The QED thermoelectric battery converts the thermal energy of the
surroundings to a potential difference V 2 −V
1 and a source of electrons. The cavity QED
induced VUV light produces electrons [see Eqn. 7] from both materials
54 and 55
depending on their photoelectric yields, the material with
the higher yield losing more electrons and acquires a positive charge [see Eqn.
8]. Material 54 is depicted to acquire a
positive charge owing to its higher electron yield, while the reflective
material 55 gains electrons and charges
negative.
[0098] Particle Filter
[0099] In a still another preferred embodiment, the QED device is used in a
filter having microscopic pores resonant with the flow of solid spherical
particles to provide a source of VIS photons and electrons.
[0100] FIG. 18
illustrates a microscopic QED flow cell. Solid particles
61 of n-type semiconductor material having a
diameter 2R 0 <3 microns move in tube 62
through a restriction 63 under the influence
of an external electric field produced by voltages V 1
and V 2 . The particles
61 carry a negative charge and the tube
62 is fabricated from an electrical
insulator material. VUV light is produced as the particles move through the
restriction 63 having a dimension D with an
EM resonance that suppresses IR radiation. The channel is evacuated and filled
to a low-density nitrogen gas 64 . At
ambient temperature, IR radiation is suppressed at a wavelength λ of about 10
microns, or a diameter D of 5 microns.
[0101] A resonant filter comprising a plurality of microscopic pathways is
illustrated in FIG. 19
. The filter body 65 is an
electrical insulator provided with a plurality of microscopic pathways
66 having a nominal diameter D <10
microns. Solid particles 61 of n-type
semiconductor material having a spherical diameter 2R 0
<3 microns move through the pathways 65
under the influence of an external electric field produced by
voltages V 1 and V 2
.
[0102] VIS photons are caused by the excitation of the nitrogen gas by cavity
QED induced VUV light produced as the particles move through the restrictions in
FIGS. 9 ( a
) and ( b ). The
VUV light excitation produces a positive charged insulator material from the
electron loss by the photoelectric effect, the electrons lost by the insulator
carried away by the electric field to a collector of the battery.