Optically anisotropic thin films by shear-oriented assembly of colloidal nanorods

Device-scale thin films of highly oriented (in-plane) colloidal nanorods are made available by using a simple coating process involving thixotropic rod gel suspensions. Application of this process to LaPO₄ nanorods leads to films exhibiting outstanding anisotropic optical properties, such as a remarkably large birefringence (Δn = 0.13) associated with high transparency, and sharply polarized fluorescence spectra when doped with europium.