The optical properties of metallic nanoparticles are interesting because of their fundamental science and their potential for emerging applications. For example, their broad optical tunability from ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths can be exploited in nanoscale photonics, chemical and biological sensing, and high-efficiency photovoltaic devices. We have developed a method to fabricate arrays of aligned metallic pyramidal nanoparticles over large-areas (>1 in. x 1 in.) (A, scale bar 500 nm). By embedding these nano-pyramids within a transparent polymer film, we can manipulate them by hand for detailed optical studies (B, scale bar 1 cm). We have demonstrated how both the orientation of the nano-pyramids and the polarization of the incident light can tune the optical properties of the arrays.
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