One of the possible functions of the photonic-crystal structure found on the wing scales of some butterflies is investigated. The optical and electron microscopic investigation of two male butterflies-blue (colored) and brown (discolored)-representing a sister species pair and originating from different altitudes, revealed that the blue color can be attributed unambiguously to the fine, spongelike medium, called "pepper-pot structure," present between the ridges and the cross ribs in the scales of the colored butterfly. Only traces of this structure can be found on the scales of the discolored butterfly. Other physical measurements, mainly optical reflectivity, transmission, and thermal measurements, are correlated with structural data and simulation results. The thermal measurements reveal that under identical illumination conditions the high-altitude butterfly reaches a temperature 1.3-1.5 times the temperature reached by the low-altitude butterfly. This is attributed to the photonic-crystal-like behavior of the pepper-pot structure, which significantly reduces the penetration of light with wavelength in the blue region of the spectrum into the body of the scales. This sheds some light on the adaptation that enhances the survival chance of the butterfly in a cold environment rich in blue and UV radiation.

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The optical properties of chemical-solution-deposited thin films of lead sulfide (PbS) were investigated using infrared transmission and photoluminescence spectroscopies. The synthesized films are characterized by a wide range of microstructures, from 15 nm nanocrystals up to monocrystals. Energy bandgap values for bulk and nanostructured layers varied from 0.41 eV up to 0.48 eV, respectively. Blueshifts in both absorbance and emission peaks of the nanostructured layers were obtained due to quantum size effects. The optical properties of the films are shown to be size-dependent, with the band edge increasing with temperature.

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