Photothermal modification of plasmonic structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018178571-A1
Application number	US-201615580986-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 10, 2016
Priority date	Jun 12, 2015
Publication date	Jun 28, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

There is presented a method for geometrically modifying plasmonic structures on a support structure, such as for printing or recording, said method comprising changing a geometry specifically of plasmonic structures, wherein said changing the geometry is carried out by photothermally melting at least a portion of each of the plasmonic structures within the second plurality of plasmonic structures by irradiating, the plasmonic structures with incident electromagnetic radiation having an incident intensity in a plane of the second plurality of plasmonic structures, wherein said incident intensity is less than an incident intensity required to melt a film of a corresponding material and a corresponding thickness as the plasmonic structures within the second plurality of plasmonic structures.

First claim

1 . A method for geometrically modifying plasmonic structures on a support structure, said method comprising:
a. Providing a support structure, said support structure being a solid polymer, b. Providing a first plurality of plasmonic structures, said plasmonic structures being supported by the support structure, c. Changing a geometry specifically of plasmonic structures within a second plurality of plasmonic structures, wherein the second plurality of plasmonic structures is a sub-set of the first plurality of plasmonic structures, wherein said changing the geometry is carried out by photothermally melting at least a portion of each of the plasmonic structures within the second plurality of plasmonic structures by irradiating the second plurality of plasmonic structures with incident electromagnetic radiation having an incident intensity in a plane of the second plurality of plasmonic structures, and thereby exciting localized surface plasmon resonances associated with each of the plasmonic structures within the second plurality of plasmonic structures, wherein said incident intensity is less than an incident intensity required to melt a film of a corresponding material and a corresponding thickness as the plasmonic structures within the second plurality of plasmonic structures, wherein said support structure comprises a first plurality of topographical features, and wherein a color printing or data recording resolution of the geometrically modified plasmonic structures on the support structure is below the diffraction limit with respect to the incident electromagnetic radiation.

2 - 15 . (canceled)

16 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said incident intensity is less than 75% of an incident intensity required to melt a film of corresponding material and thickness as the plasmonic structures within the second plurality of plasmonic structures.

17 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plasmonic structures within the second plurality of plasmonic structures redistribute photon energy in the incident electromagnetic radiation, thereby enabling said melting.

18 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein changing the geometry of specifically the second plurality of plasmonic structures, is carried out so as to enable:
colour mixing.

19 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plasmonic structures are given by:
metallic structures on or in said topographical features, And holes in a metallic film, wherein said holes correspond to said topographical features.

20 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
preparing the topographical features, and preparing the first plurality of plasmonic structures by depositing a metallic film on the support structure with the topographical features.

21 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein changing the geometry of a second plurality of plasmonic structures, comprises changing the geometry for plasmonic structures within the second plurality of plasmonic structures into a plurality of different geometries.

22 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein changing the geometry of a plasmonic structure within second plurality of plasmonic structures is carried out in less than 1 millisecond.

23 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein changing the geometry of a second plurality of plasmonic structures, comprises changing the optical characteristics within a visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

24 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein changing the geometry of a second plurality of plasmonic structures is carried out in a manner making the resulting change visible for a normal human viewer.

25 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a color printing or data recording resolution of the geometrically modified plasmonic structures on the support structure is at least 100 kDPI.

26 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the photo-thermal energy is provided with any one of:
A spot focused LASER, A spot focused LASER, which is scanned through the second plurality of plasmonic structures so that changing the geometry is carried out in a sequential manner, A line focused LASER, A line focused LASER, which is scanned through the second plurality of plasmonic structures so that changing the geometry is carried out in a sequential manner, A 2D array LASER, or A projected image.

27 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises geometrically modifying plasmonic structures on a support structure in one or more additional planes comprising additional plasmonic structures.

28 . A product comprising photothermally geometrically modified plasmonic structures and said product, optionally, further comprises a support structure.

29 . A method of using a product comprising a geometrically modified plasmonic structures prepared according to the method of claim 1 , said method comprising:
providing a product comprising a geometrically modified plasmonic structures prepared according to the method of claim 1 ; and applying said a geometrically modified plasmonic structures prepared according to the method of claim 1 in macroscopic printing, microscopic printing, data storing, laser power assessment, or sensing.

Assignees

• Univ Danmarks Tekniske

Inventors

• Zhu Xiaolong
• Kristensen Anders
• Højlund-Nielsen Emil
• Vannahme Christoph
• Mortensen Niels Asger

Classifications

• G02B5/008 Primary

  Surface plasmon devices (diffractive gratings with a pitch less than or comparable to the wavelength G02B5/1809; surface plasmons in integrated optics G02B6/1226; optical analysis of materials by means of surface plasmons G01N21/553) · CPC title

• B41M5/34 Primary

  Multicolour thermography · CPC title

• B41M5/40

  characterised by the base {backcoat}, intermediate, or covering layers, {e.g. for thermal transfer dye-donor or dye-receiver sheets}; Heat, radiation filtering or absorbing means or layers; combined with other image registration layers or compositions; Special originals for reproduction by thermography {(macromolecular ink- or dye-receptive coatings B41M5/52)} · CPC title

• G11B11/03

  using recording by deforming with non-mechanical means, e.g. laser, beam of particles {(G11B11/002 takes precedence; see proviosional also G11B3/68 - G11B3/72)} · CPC title

• B41M7/0081

  using electromagnetic radiation or waves, e.g. ultraviolet radiation, electron beams · CPC title