The Plasmonic Properties of Daguerreotypes
Nineteenth-century nanotechnology: The plasmonic properties of daguerreotypes SEE COMMENTARY Andrea E. Schlathera, Paul Gierib, Mike Robinsonc, Silvia A. Centenoa, and Alejandro Manjavacasb,1 aDepartment of Scientific Research, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY 10028; bDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131; and cCentury Darkroom, Toronto, ON M4M 2S1, Canada Edited by Catherine J. Murphy, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL, and approved May 2, 2019 (received for review March 12, 2019) Plasmons, the collective oscillations of mobile electrons in metal- to light, giving rise to collective oscillations known as surface lic nanostructures, interact strongly with light and produce vivid plasmons (27, 28). Due to their strong interaction with light, colors, thus offering a new route to develop color printing plasmons supported by a metallic nanostructure determine its technologies with improved durability and material simplicity optical response. Furthermore, the nanostructure’s morphology compared with conventional pigments. Over the last decades, and material composition dictate the plasmon resonant fre- researchers in plasmonics have been devoted to manipulating quency and hence which frequencies are absorbed and scattered the characteristics of metallic nanostructures to achieve unique when the nanostructure is illuminated (29). This, along with and controlled optical effects. However, before plasmonic nanos- long-term durability, material simplicity, and subdiffraction limit tructures became a science, they were an art. The invention spatial resolution, makes plasmonic nanostructures an ideal plat- of the daguerreotype was publicly announced in 1839 and is form for color printing applications (30–32). Indeed, there is recognized as the earliest photographic technology that success- clear evidence that metal nanostructures have been used since fully captured an image from a camera, with resolution and ancient times to provide color to glass and pottery (33, 34).
[Show full text]