Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Jun 11.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Nanotechnol. 2017 Dec 11;13(2):159–164. doi: 10.1038/s41565-017-0017-7

Figure 3. Electrically-driven nanorod metamaterial with reactive tunnel junctions.

Figure 3

a, Schematic diagram of the device configuration based on metal-polymer-metal tunnel junctions. The Al2O3 matrix was first chemically etched in order to expose the Au nanorod tips. The nanorod tips were then functionalized with a monolayer of poly-L-histidine (PLH) which works both as a tunnel barrier and a reactant. b, Surface morphology of an etched metamaterial with the exposed nanorod tips. c,d, The evolution of the emission spectra of the metamaterial (Vb = 2.5 V) when the cell atmosphere was switched from N2 with 2% H2 to air (c) and from air to N2 with 2% H2 (d). e, Integrated emission power from the metamaterial measured when the cell atmosphere was dynamically changed between air, N2, 2% H2 in N2, O2, and 2% H2 in N2 with 75% RH.