3D printing technology is taking the world by storm, and now it’s revolutionizing plasmonics. Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley have developed a method to 3D print plasmonic plastic, which enables large-scale production of plasmonic devices. The breakthrough could lead to new applications in sensing, computing, and optical communications.

Plasmonic plastic is a unique material that combines the optical properties of metal with the versatility of plastic. The material is made up of tiny metal particles that are suspended in a plastic matrix. This makes it possible to create structures with features as small as a few nanometers, which can be used to control light in ways that were previously impossible.

The new 3D printing technique developed by the Berkeley researchers allows them to produce large-scale plasmonic plastic devices with features that are hundreds of nanometers in size. This opens up the possibility of producing complex structures with many different components, such as sensors and optical communication devices.

The breakthrough could lead to a new era of plasmonic devices that are smaller, faster, and more efficient than ever before. It could also pave the way for new applications in sensing, computing, and optical communications.

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source: Phys.org