A promising new technique for welding nanowires with a simple blast of light has been demonstrated by engineers at Stanford University.

The technique, which takes advantage of the plasmonic interaction between light and metal, promises to facilitate the creation of electrically conductive metal nanowire meshes. Until now, it hasn’t been possible to heat and weld the nanowires without damaging them. The plasmonic technique instantly fuses the delicate wires where they touch each other, but stops welding once the wires have fused, leaving them undamaged.

According to one of the paper’s senior authors, “[t]his ability to heat with precision greatly increases the control, speed, and energy efficiency of nanoscale welding.”