Multi-functional Color Printing
Laser-written, non-fading plasmonic color on varied substrates for high-resolution art, anti-counterfeit, and optical data uses.
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a medium and method for plasmonic color printing with a lossy resonator that has a wide color range and adjustable angular/polarization sensitivities. The overall structure thickness is around 300 nanometers and could be fabricated on any substrate acting as a good heat sink. An expanded palette of angular-dependent colors is efficiently generated through laser modification of the medium under variable illumination wavelengths. This approach to non-fading color printing reduces the need for artificial harmful dyes.
Technology Validation: The researchers successfully printed samples of plasmonic color images with an area of 10 sq. mm and a resolution comparable to the conventional 300 dots-per-inch color prints. The samples change their reflected color throughout the entire visible spectrum depending on the viewing angle and the parameters of the laser photomodification.
Advantages:
- Lithography-free
- Environmentally-friendly
- Highly-controllable
Applications:
- Fine arts rendering
- Anti-counterfeiting
- Optical data storage
Publications:
https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.15496
TRL: 5
Intellectual Property:
Provisional-Gov. Funding, 2023-05-09, United States
Utility-Gov. Funding, 2024-05-08, United States
Keywords: Electrical Engineering, Optoelectronic devices, PBDF, Transparent conductor