NEWS – Researchers at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, engineered flexible plasmonic devices.

CHALLENGES WITH TRADITIONAL PLASMONIC MATERIALS

• Rigid and expensive materials.
• Primarily composed of costly metals like gold and silver.
• Restricted design possibilities.

INNOVATIONS BY JNCASR TEAM

• Cost-effective alternative using Scandium Nitride (ScN) films.
• Scalable method for creating flexible plasmonic structures.
• Advantages of Scandium Nitride:
  • Supports near-infrared wavelength plasmonics.
  • Retains performance under bending and flexing.
  • Ideal for flexible device applications.

PLASMONICS

• Phenomenon:
  • Metals contain free electrons oscillating on their surfaces, reflecting light.
  • Known as plasmonics, this property creates the shiny appearance of metals.
  • Historical use in stained-glass windows.

APPLICATIONS AND POTENTIAL

• Biomedical Applications:
  • Flexibility enables broader functionality compared to rigid surfaces.
  • Essential for wearable medical devices.
• Flexible Electronics:
  • Paves the way for high-performance, adaptable devices.
  • Leverages unique properties of near-infrared plasmonic materials.