Dynamic Plasmonic Full-Color Generation via Machine Learning and Liquid Crystals

Miniaturized color pixels are crucial for the infrastructure of modern printing and display. In this study, plasmonic colors are generated by via polarization excitations within nanostructures composed of naturally abundant aluminum. We utilized the excitation and detection polarizations of light to achieve vibrant plasmonic colors and dramatically expand the range of the available colors by hybridize plasmonic resonances. Plasmonic full-color pixels and real-life artwork are produced using genetic algorithms based on a polarization-dependent color space. Furthermore, dynamically tuned plasmonic color pixels are demonstrated by triggering electroresponsive liquid crystals. The plasmonic color technologies are expected to facilitate color applications ranging from surface decoration, digital displays, and optical security devices to durable optical data storage.