3D Printing-Threading of Gold Nanoplatelets for Enhanced Optical Wavevector and Spontaneous Emission

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has emerged as a powerful technology for rapidly prototyping optical materials and components. However, controlling fundamental optical parameters in printed materials remains a significant challenge due to the difficulty of tailoring the internal structures, particularly at the nanoscale. Here we demonstrate the 3D printing-threading of gold nanoplatelets within printing media via digital light processing (DLP). The printed nanoplatelet-resin (PNR) composites exhibit intrinsic optical wavevector (<i>k</i>) dispersion tailoring before and after nanoplatelet threading states. By exploiting nanoplasmonic chain coupling theory, we observed enhanced <i>k</i> in threaded PNR with isofrequency contour tailored from isotropic to elliptical, which further leads to spontaneous emission enhancement of rhodamine dye molecules when coated. The study not only expands the capabilities in accessing the fundamental optical parameters in 3D printed materials but also opens up a new avenue for the development of innovative optical materials with tailored properties.