Reversible electrical switching of nanostructural color pixels

Electrical switching of nanophotonic structural color elements is a promising approach towards addressable color switching pixels for next generation reflective displays. However, electrical switching between the primary colors to colorless near-white state remains a challenge. Here, we present a reversible electrical switching approach, relying on the electrocoagulation of Ag nanoparticles between silicon nanostructures that support Mie resonances. The electrodeposited Ag nanoparticles enable the excitation of the hybrid plasmon-Mie resonance as supported on Ag-silicon nanostructures, resulting in a large spectral transformation. Importantly, this process is reversible. This device design outperforms other designs in terms of electrotonic color control since it is highly stable and reliable for use in high-resolution reflective displays, such as colored electronic papers and smart display glass, where the combination is scalable to other nanostructure designs and electrolytic solutions.