Umbrella-shaped diamond nanostructures make efficient photon collectors

Standard umbrellas come out when the sky turns dark, but in the nanoworld, umbrella shapes may be the next creative way to enhance light emission. Inspired by recent work to enhance the luminescence from diamond nanopillar structures, a team of researchers in Japan has discovered that "umbrella-shaped" diamond nanostructures with metal mirrors on the bottom are more efficient photon collectors than their diamond nanostructure "cousins" of other shapes.