This is adapted from an Instagram story I posted in October 2025.

Can transparent metal actually exist in the real world?

When light hits a metal, the electrons inside the metal cancel out the light, so unless the metal is extremely thin, light has a hard time passing through it. For that reason, you could say that, in practice, transparent metal is rarely something you’ll ever see.

But… is that really true?

If you’re reading this on a smartphone, you’re already looking at transparent metal.

A touchscreen has a thin metallic film layered on top of it, and because this film—which is what senses your touch—is only nanometers thin, light can pass right through it.

In other words: transparent metal!

Transparent touch sensor film
The transparent conductive film (touch sensor film) used in touchscreens. It’s a metallic layer only nanometers thin, so light passes through it. Source: Wikimedia Commons