Review: Physical Coloration-Nanoscopic Science and Macroscopic Impact

Physical coloration stimulated the development of a new era of science and technology some hundred years earlier. It is now again presenting us new opportunities and challenges on multiple fronts. This article focuses on a selectively few of them that are more directional in nature: scalable nanomanufacturing of physical coloration, physical amplification of colorimetric sensing, and provision of biophilic lighting with real-time full-spectrum physical coloration. Physical coloration is a rather large multi-dimensional field that is open and awaiting for creative minds and hands. Its impact has been broad and profound to the well-being of humankind. This article attempts to complement the reviews of broad scopes available in literature by one with a narrower focus on the more recent advances on the three fronts.