A research team has developed a methodology to precisely design and control the "degree of disorder" in nanopattern arrays. The technique uses metal-infiltrated block copolymer (BCP) thin films. It was led by Professor So Youn Kim of the Seoul National University College of Engineering.
The work was done in collaboration with Professor Su-Mi Hur's team at DGIST and Professor S. Joon Kwon's team at Sungkyunkwan University. The method could advance wave-guiding devices by enabling intentional disorder. This contrasts with typical fabrication that tries to minimize irregularities.
The paper is published in the journal Nature Communications. It was selected as an Editors' Highlight in materials science and chemistry. The precise control of disorder is a significant step for photonic applications.
This innovation could impact fields relying on light propagation and manipulation. Wave-guiding devices are critical in telecommunications, sensors, and optical computing. The ability to engineer disorder may lead to novel functionalities.
The collaborative effort spans multiple South Korean institutions. Further work is needed to demonstrate practical device integration at scale.