Tiny rod-like nanoparticles of gold or silver able to adsorb, transmit and reflect light at the nanoscale could hold the key to faster computers, higher-resolution microscopes, more efficient light-emitting diodes and a new generation of chemical and biological detectors. In a paper published in the journal Nanotechnology, a team led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Ali Passian describes nanorods that can be fabricated from noble metals and configured to measure the polarization state of light, a task that traditionally cannot be done at the nanoscale. "The long-term goal is to design and build nano-instruments that will allow us to measure and manipulate light," Passian said. Other authors of the paper, titled "Spectroscopy and imaging of arrays of nanorods toward nanopolarimetry," include Laurene Tetard of ORNL and Thomas Thundat of the University of Alberta. - Ron Walli, 865.576.0226, May 02, 2012
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