Ronald W Rendell

Title: The Innovative Contributions of Ronald W. Rendell

Introduction

Ronald W. Rendell is a prominent inventor based in Washington, DC. He has made significant contributions to the field of optical processes through his innovative patents. With a total of 3 patents, his work focuses on enhancing optical technologies using plasmonic materials.

Latest Patents

Rendell's latest patents include groundbreaking technologies such as three-dimensional coherent plasmonic nanowire arrays designed to enhance optical processes. One of his notable inventions is a plasmonic grating sensor that features periodic arrays of vertically aligned plasmonic nanopillars and nanowires. This sensor operates with an interparticle pitch ranging from λ/8 to 2λ, where λ represents the incident wavelength of light divided by the effective index of refraction of the sample. Another significant patent is a coupled-plasmonic array sensor that utilizes vertically aligned periodic arrays of plasmonically coupled nanopillars and nanowires. This sensor is designed with interparticle gaps that induce overlap between the plasmonic evanescent fields from neighboring nanoparticles, typically requiring edge-to-edge separations of less than 20 nm. Additionally, he has developed a plasmo-photonic array sensor featuring a double-resonant, periodic array of vertically aligned subarrays of plasmonically coupled nanopillars and nanowires, spaced at a pitch on the order of a wavelength of light.

Another innovative patent involves metamaterial optical elements that are self-assembled on protein scaffolds. In this invention, a genetically modified cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) protein capsid serves as a scaffold for metal nanoparticles, preferably gold nanospheres ranging from 15 nm to 35 nm. This self-assembly creates plasmonic nanoclusters that result in a tenfold surface-averaged enhancement of the local electromagnetic field. Other viral capsids or virus-like proteins may also serve as scaffolds in this technology.

Career Highlights

Rendell works for the USA as represented by the Secretary of the Navy. His role involves advancing research and development in optical technologies, contributing to both military and civilian applications.

Collaborations

Throughout his career, Rendell has collaborated with notable colleagues, including Banahalli R. Ratna and Carissa M. Soto. Their combined expertise has furthered the development of innovative optical solutions.