Applied physics as art
In Harvard’s Pierce Hall, the surface of a small
germanium-coated gold sheet shines vividly in crimson. A centimeter to the
right, where the same metallic coating is literally only about 20 atoms
thicker, the surface is a dark blue, almost black. The colors form the logo of
the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), where
researchers have demonstrated a new way to customize the color of metal surfaces
by exploiting a completely overlooked optical phenomenon.