The engineering world just became even more colorful.
Northwestern University researchers have created a new technique that can transform silver into any color of the rainbow. Their simple method is a fast, low-cost alternative to color filters currently used in electronic displays and monitors.
"Our technique doesn't require expensive nanofabrication techniques or a lot of materials," said Koray Aydin, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering. "And it can be completed in a half hour or so."
The filter's secret lies within its "sandwich-like" structure. Aydin and his team created a three-layer design, where glass is wedged two thin layers of silver film. The silver layers are thin enough to allow optical light to pass through, which then transmits a certain color through the glass and reflects the rest of the visible spectrum. By changing the thickness of the glass, Aydin was able to filter and produce different colors.
"Controlling the thickness of the glass controls the color," Aydin said. "This way, we can create any color desired."
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