Laser printing based on curvature-driven shape transition of aluminum nanodiscs [Invited]

Plasmonic structural colors have plenty of advantages over traditional colors based on colorants. The pulsed laser provides an important method generating plasmonic structural colors with high efficiency and low cost. Here, we present plasmonic color printing Al nanodisc structures through curvature-driven shape transition. We systematically study the mechanism of morphologic evolution of the Al nanodisc below the thermal melting threshold. A multi-pulse-induced accumulated photothermal effect and subsequent curvature-driven surface atom diffusion model are adopted to explain the controllable shape transition. The shape transition and corresponding plasmonic resonances of the nanodisc can be independently and precisely modulated by controlled irradiations. This method opens new ways towards high-fidelity color prints in a highly efficient and facile laser writing fashion.