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Holes in mirror metals don't make for good reflection
Scientists from Stuttgart University, Germany, have discovered that tiny holes in thin films of metal actually causes the metal to become opaque.
The film, usually used to make mirrors because of its reflective qualities, loses transparency when tiny holes are drilled into it. Researchers observed that the holes actually obscured the view if looking through the semi-transparent film. This is a strange contradiction to previous research on thick metal layers, in which tiny holes were drilled and a surprising amount of light was able to pass through.
The opacity in the film metals is caused by so-called plasmons, triggered by collective excitations in the metallic charges. Interestingly, the colour of the plasmons changes depending on the angle of the light hitting the film. Further research intends to develop specific applications for plasmons.
For interest, contact Prof. Martin Dressel atdressel@pi1.physik.uni-stuttgart.de
Published: Wednesday, 11th November 2009
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