Mie-tronics under microscopy
Since a millennium ago, it is well known that grinding metals yields various colors, presented as the beautiful colored windows in churches or the famous Lycurgus Cup. However, the underlying physics was not elucidated until Gustav Mie developed the corresponding electromagnetic wave scattering theory in the early 20th century. The Mie theory explains how structuring metals to sizes comparable to light wavelengths, not much smaller nor much larger, creates new optical resonances, enhancing absorption/scattering of specific wavelengths, and producing vivid colors. In the 21st century, the nanoscale Mie resonance phenomenon has been…