Universal method for creating optically active nanostructures on layered materials.

The ability to form patterned surface nanostructures has revolutionized the miniaturization of electronics and led to the discovery of emergent behaviors unseen in macroscopic systems. However, the creation of such nanostructures typically requires multiple processing steps, a high level of technical expertise, and highly sophisticated equipment. In this work, we have discovered a simple method to create nanostructures with control size and positioning in a single processing step using a standard scanning electron microscope.