Researchers Develop Fast, Scalable Way to Make Nanoribbons for Infrared Devices

Combining electronics with infrared light can enable small, fast, and sensitive devices for sensing, imaging, and signaling at the molecular level. However, in the infrared spectrum, materials must meet strict quality requirements for their crystals in order to meet the requirements for these functions. Now, researchers have found an improved way to make high-quality crystals that resonate strongly with infrared light. They tested these ribbon-shaped nanocrystals ("nanoribbons") using a unique infrared probe. The nanoribbons have the highest measured quality reported for such materials to date. This quality makes the crystals excellent prospects for use in high-performance infrared devices.