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The researchers say their findings have potential applications ranging from solar cells with improved performance to functional materials that clog light absorption for possible military usage (think: near-invisibility).</p> <p></p><p><a href="../../dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsphotonics.5b00586" target="_blank">A peer-reviewed paper based on the study</a> was published recently on the cover of the journal <em>ACS Photonics</em>.</p> <p></p><p>Previous work on tuning the amount of light materials absorb has been constrained by the inherent properties of pure metals.</p> <p></p><p>“Think about sunlight catching the silver of your wristwatch and projecting those little dancing dots on the wall next to your desk. The wavelengths of light needed to produce that effect are always within the same range. This is called a pre-determined optical response, and it has limited researchers’ ability to change how much light is absorbed in a device made of pure metals such as gold, silver, and copper,†explained <a href="../../www.mse.umd.edu/faculty/leite/index_no_slash.html" target="_blank">Marina Leite,</a> assistant professor of materials science and engineering at UMD and corresponding author of the paper.</p> <p></p><p>To overcome this limitation, Leite and <a href="../../ireap.umd.edu/staff/grad/cgong/index_no_slash.html" target="_blank">Chen Gong,</a> a graduate student at UMD and co-author of the paper, investigated how the alloying processes of these noble metals affect their optical response to identify combinations that enhance or inhibit the absorption of light.</p> <p></p><p>“This work is a perfect example of the power of materials science and engineering: we discovered a way to control and change metals’ optical properties by mixing them. These alloys obtain a unique functionality that is not achievable using their pure counterparts—making them a better, more powerful tool for tunable optical response than gold, silver, or copper alone,†said Leite.</p> <p></p><p>“Our results are relevant to my colleagues working on photonic devices—components for creating, manipulating, or detecting light—as these devices are highly dependent on the tunability of the optical response of their building blocks,†Leite added.</p> <p></p><p><a href="../../www.ece.umd.edu/faculty/munday/index_no_slash.html" target="_blank">Jeremy Munday,</a> assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at UMD, agrees. “My colleagues and I have been working to increase the efficiency of solar cells, specifically by exploring the use of all-metal energy harvesting devices. The ability to arbitrarily tune their optoelectronic properties would have a significant impact on their performance,†he said. </p> <p></p><p>This work also has broader economic implications due to the possibility of replacing high-cost metals with low-cost and earth-abundant ones. Though gold is immediately recognizable as a precious and expensive metal, copper and aluminum are much more readily available. Leite and her colleagues are now looking into how they can incorporate alloys using these metals into high-performance optical devices.</p> <p></p><p><em>This work was supported by the National Science Foundation grant no. HRD1008117, the University of Maryland ADVANCE program, the Minta Martin Award at the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland, and the University of Maryland 2015 Graduate School Summer Research Fellowship program.</em></p> <p></p><p>The research paper, <a href="../../dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsphotonics.5b00586" target="_blank">“Noble Metal Alloys for Plasmonics,â€</a> Chen Gong and Marina S. Leite, was published online February 24 in the journal <em>ACS Photonics</em>.</p> <p></p><p><em>The A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland serves as the catalyst for high-quality research, innovation, and learning, delivering on a promise that all graduates will leave ready to impact the Grand Challenges (energy, environment, security, and human health) of the 21st century. The Clark School is dedicated to leading and transforming the engineering discipline and profession, to accelerating entrepreneurship, and to transforming research and learning activities into new innovations that benefit millions. </em></p> <p></p><p><em>Visit us online at www.eng.umd.edu and follow us on Twitter <a href="../../twitter.com/ClarkSchool/index_no_slash.html" target="_blank">@ClarkSchool.</a></em></p> <p></p><p> </p> <br><br><span class="caption">April 20, 2016</span> <p></p> <br clear="all"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="previousNext" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td width="45%"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=9572">«Previous Story </a></td> <td> </td> <td width="45%"><div align="right"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=9640">Next Story»</a> </div></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p> </p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> <td valign="top" width="20"> </td> <td valign="top" width="1"> <img align="left" height="495" src="../../www.eng.umd.edu/images/sub/layout/rhtcolline.gif" width="1"> </td> <td align="left" valign="top" width="172"> <table border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" id="currentHeadlines" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td align="left" valign="top" width="100%"><p class="rightHeader">Current Headlines </p> <p class="caption4"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=15282">Selected Publications from NanoCenter's AIM Lab and FabLab</a></p> <p class="caption4"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=15553">Connect with Maryland Engineering at the 2023 ASEE Annual Conference</a></p> <p class="caption4"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=15518">Powering a Greener Future</a></p> <p class="caption4"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=15485">Device That Harvests Water From Air Named Top UMD Invention of the Year</a></p> <p class="caption4"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=15456">Maryland Engineering Graduate Programs: Top 10 Among Public Universities, Five Years in a Row</a></p> <p class="caption4"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=15447">Electrified Plastic Recycling Toward A Sustainable Future</a></p> <p class="caption4"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=15444">Crank Up the AC, Not Global Warming</a></p> <p class="caption4"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=15405">Women’s History Month Spotlight</a></p> <p class="caption4"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=15393">Safe Lithium Batteries Get a Boost</a></p> <p class="caption4"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=15389">2023 Energy Seed Grants Provide Launchpad for Local Startups</a></p> </td></tr> <tr> <td align="left" valign="top"> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </div> <script> // Code to style news from ENG news engine $(document).ready(function(){ // removes title bullet $('#titleTable tr:first-child td:first-child').hide(); // removes spacing above title $('#containerTable tr:first-child td:first-child br:first-of-type').hide(); // adds page-header css rule to title block $('.pageHeader').addClass('page-header'); // removes spacing to the left of the news story $('#containerTable tr:first-child td:nth-child(1)').css('width:700px'); $('#containerTable tr:first-child td:nth-child(3)').hide(); // replace the Next Story link $('#previousNext td').show(); // Format side headlines to match our site dimensions $('#containerTable tr:first-child td:nth-child(4)').css('width', '220'); $('#currentHeadlines').attr('cellpadding', '0'); $('#currentHeadlines .rightHeader').addClass('nanocenter-module-header'); // Help the right table consistently reach the bottom of page $('#currentHeadlines').height($('#containerTable').height()+100); // Add News Resources for consistency and backtrack links var nr = '<p class="rightHeader nanocenter-module-header">News Resources</p>'+ '<p class="caption4"><a href="/news/">Newsroom</a></p>'+ '<p class="caption4"><a href="/news/news_search.php">Search Nano News</a></p>'+ '<p class="caption4"><a href="/news/news_archives.php">Archived News</a></p>'+ '<p class="caption4"><a href="/news/press_releases.php">Press Releases</a></p>'+ '<p class="caption4"><a href="http://feed.eng.umd.edu/news/nano/feed.xml" class="rss-link">NanoCenter RSS</a></p>'; $('#currentHeadlines tr:first-child td:last-child').append(nr); }); </script> <!-- CONTENT END --> <div class="clear"></div> </div> <div class="clear"></div> <div class="container_16" id="site-info"> <p><span class="footer-section-head">Colleges</span> <a href="../../www.eng.umd.edu/index.html">A. 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