Single Particle Color Switching by Laser-Induced Deformation of Liquid Metal-derived Microcapsules

Active controlling of optical properties of metallic particles holds great promise for nonlinear nanophotonics and compact optoelectronic devices. Except for the electronic and chemical tuning of their properties, active control through fast and reversible shape modulation remains a significant challenge. Here, we report on the concept for changing the color and brightness of single particles by reversible/irreversible tuning of their shapes. As a family of plasmonic materials with low melting points and high flexibility, we synthesized liquid metal microparticles with different interior (dense/hollow) and morphology from Ga and its alloys (GaNi, GaCu). Utilizing near-infrared femtosecond laser pulses, we achieve two regimes for reversible/irreversible optical tuning due to consequent weak/strong perturbation of the microcapsules (MC) shapes. The chemical composition and MCs morphology significantly affect the tuning of color and brightness, as well as the rigidity of the MCs to extreme laser conditions.

Automated summary

Active control of metallic particles' optical properties for nonlinear nanophotonics and compact optoelectronic devices is promising. Reversible/irreversible shape modulation of liquid metal microparticles allows for dynamic tuning of color and brightness, with composition and morphology affecting the tuning effects.