Their smallness means nanoparticles have revolutionary application potentially in the fields of energy, metrology or computing. The experiment shown above was run by a team from the Institute of Light and Matter (ILM) and enables the production of gold nanoparticles.

To manufacture gold nanoparticles, all that is required is a sheet of gold put into water and a laser. The surface of the gold is gradually ablated by the laser pulses at a rhythm of 1000 impulsions per second. As the experiment progresses, the solution gradually takes on a red shade which is characteristic of gold in the nanoparticulate state. The white light observed is emitted by the plasma made up of the atoms, ions and electrons torn out of the gold sheet.

Each laser pulse leads to the creation of a bubble around the matter which came out of the gold. Nanoparticles then form inside these bubbles. The process of formation, expansion and collapse of the bubble is shown in slow motion in the video but in reality it only lasts a few hundred microseconds.

Microscopy analysis of the nano-crystals which are synthesized in this way clearly show how the atoms are arranged in a regular manner. This means that these nanoparticles can be justifiably qualified as nano-crystals.

Thanks to David Amans for his contribution.