Lippmann’s color revolution and its nanophotonic legacy

Massimo Gurioli

Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence, Via Sansone 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino

Gabriel Lippmann’s 19th-century invention of interference-based color photography represents a foundational milestone in optical science. By encoding color information through the physical interference of light waves within a photosensitive emulsion, Lippmann effectively developed—avant la lettre—a method for generating vivid, tunable, and artificial structural colors at the nanoscale. His pioneering approach anticipated key principles that underpin the modern field of nanophotonics. This paper revisits Lippmann’s original technique through the lens of current advances in nanostructured materials for structural color generation. By tracing the scientific lineage from Lippmann’s work to present-day innovations, we argue that his contributions were not merely of historical interest but form a foundational basis for the ongoing convergence of physics, imaging science, and nanotechnology. © Anita Publications. All rights reserved.
Doi: 10.54955/AJP.34.5-6.2025.309-317
Keywords: Interference, Multilayers, Nanophotonics.

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Method: Single- anonymous; Screened for Plagiarism? Yes
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