Ultra-dense, curved, grating optics determines peacock spider coloration

Wilts, Bodo D.; Otto, J.; Stavenga, Doekele G.

doi:10.1039/c9na00494g

Cited by 18 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…The disorder in the turquoise scales of S. rafaelae is a surprising twist to the optical structure in the other scales and results in a distinct optical appearance without a discernible angle dependency. Such a iScience Article difference in angle-dependent behavior for disordered or quasi-ordered structures has been seen before in other biological structures, as in the reflection gratings on the hair-like scales of peacock spiders (Wilts et al, 2020) or quasi-ordered networks of bird feather barbs (Noh et al, 2010;Tinbergen et al, 2013), and has also been employed in bio-inspired research to create angle-independent colors, e.g., by the random close-packed assembly of colloidal spheres (Forster et al, 2010) to synthesize photonic balls (Vogel et al, 2015). The macroscopic arrangement of scales with a disordered structure will effectively lower the iridescence observed at the single-hair level (Figure 2).…”

Section: Interplay Of Order and Disorder Leads To Varying Iridescence Of The Different Colored Regionsmentioning

confidence: 55%

Structural Diversity with Varying Disorder Enables the Multicolored Display in the Longhorn Beetle Sulawesiella rafaelae

et al. 2020

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Summary Light control through layered photonic nanostructures enables the strikingly colored displays of many beetles, birds, and butterflies. To achieve different reflected colors, natural organisms mainly rely on refractive index variations or scaling of a fixed structure design, as opposed to varying the type of structure. Here, we describe the presence of distinct coloration mechanisms in the longhorn beetle Sulawesiella rafaelae , which exhibits turquoise, yellow-green, and orange colors, each with a variable iridescence. By optical and electron microscopy, we show that the colors originate from multilayered architectures in hair-like scales with varying amounts of structural disorder. Structural characterizations and optical modeling show that the disorder strongly influences the optical properties of the scales, allowing an independent adjustment of the optical response. Our results shed light on the interplay of disorder in multilayered photonic structures and their biological significance, and could potentially inspire new ecological research and the development of novel optical components.

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Section: Interplay Of Order and Disorder Leads To Varying Iridescence Of The Different Colored Regionsmentioning

confidence: 55%

Structural Diversity with Varying Disorder Enables the Multicolored Display in the Longhorn Beetle Sulawesiella rafaelae

et al. 2020

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“…The non-iridescent blue coloration of the Morpho butterflies as well as the brilliant whiteness of Lepidiota stigma and beetles of genus Cyphochilus are very well studied and the underlying processes understood. [12,18,[42][43][44]114,115] Here, we want to discuss how to transfer these optimized microstructures to a simple model, [45] which allows reproducing non-iridescent coloration as well as brilliant whiteness with a material of low refractive index (n = 1.55) by accounting for the underlying disorder mechanisms. This encompasses the optimized microstructure of the scales, including the filling fraction, the size, and the distancing of the individual scattering elements as well as their size distribution and spatial arrangement.…”

Section: Structural Coloration and Brilliant Whitementioning

confidence: 99%

Tailored Disorder in Photonics: Learning from Nature

Rothammer

Zollfrank

Busch

et al. 2021

Advanced Optical Materials

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Through natural selection, optimally designed nano-and microstructures have arisen for tailored light-matter interactions, even despite a rather limited repertory of materials. [3] Hierarchy is a major reason for the multifunctionality of natural materials such as feathers, which keep the birds body warm and make it water repellant, create wings and tails for aerodynamic lift during flying, and furthermore, provide coloration for camouflage as well as for intraspecific sexual communication. [3][4][5][6][7][8] In comparison, mankind just very recently developed fabrication technologies, which can be separated into bottom-up and top-down approaches. In bottom-up approaches, small building blocks (e.g., nanoparticles or molecules) are organized using self-assembly strategies. Bottom-up approaches are scalable and, hence, are suitable for mass fabrication. However, self-assembly always faces the unavoidable risk of introducing unwanted defects (e.g., stacking faults, missing particles), as these processes are not fully controllable. Top-down processes on the other hand allow for full control (within the limits of the precision of the technique). Here, different techniques have been developed for 1D (e.g., atomic-layer deposition, chemical-vapor deposition, molecular beam epitaxy), 2D (e.g., photo-lithography or electron-beam lithography) as well as 3D (e.g., direct laser writing, direct inkjet printing, laser induced forward transfer) structures. With increasing number of dimension, suitability for mass fabrication reduces. However, top-down fabrication reaches the required precision of few tens of nanometers even for 3D approaches to address the length scales present in the intricate structures found in nature.Due to the growing worldwide interest in photonics, researchers study natural systems as many concepts are resilient against disorder or even utilize certain amounts of disorder to achieve the desired functionality. Coloration derived from the microstructure and the underlying photonic dispersion relations and transport processes play an important role, as these properties can be designed or tailored by controlling the microstructure. Combining the precision of top-down approaches with the flexibility of bottom-up strategies opens new avenues for structures with controlled amounts of disorder. Here, we want to review the mechanisms found in natural structures, briefly discuss the underlying theoretical principles before we provide a broader overview of materials and methods for fabrication. We will conclude with a detailed exposition of four illustrative examples that showcase different aspects of tailored disorder.

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“…They produce structural colours by a variety of optical mechanisms. These include multi-layered cuticular structures [83,84], diffraction gratings [85][86][87], cylindrical Bragg mirrors [88], and combinations thereof. The result is iridescent and reflective structures with a wide spectral range including ultraviolet, blues and greens and even yellow, which is otherwise typically achieved by pigmentation [85].…”

Section: (B) Constructive and Diffuse Scattering And Reflectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The spider cuticle: a remarkable material toolbox for functional diversity

Politi

Bertinetti

Fratzl

et al. 2021

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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Engineered systems are typically based on a large variety of materials differing in composition and processing to provide the desired functionality. Nature, however, has evolved materials that are used for a wide range of functional challenges with minimal compositional changes. The exoskeletal cuticle of spiders, as well as of other arthropods such as insects and crustaceans, is based on a combination of chitin, protein, water and small amounts of organic cross-linkers or minerals. Spiders use it to obtain mechanical support structures and lever systems for locomotion, protection from adverse environmental influences, tools for piercing, cutting and interlocking, auxiliary structures for the transmission and filtering of sensory information, structural colours, transparent lenses for light manipulation and more. This paper illustrates the ‘design space’ of a single type of composite with varying internal architecture and its remarkable capability to serve a diversity of functions. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Bio-derived and bioinspired sustainable advanced materials for emerging technologies (part 1)’.

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Ultra-dense, curved, grating optics determines peacock spider coloration

Abstract: This study reports the optics of ultra-dense, nanoscopic gratings of peacock spiders that cause either angle-dependent or stable colours.

Cited by 18 publications

References 29 publications

Structural Diversity with Varying Disorder Enables the Multicolored Display in the Longhorn Beetle Sulawesiella rafaelae

Structural Diversity with Varying Disorder Enables the Multicolored Display in the Longhorn Beetle Sulawesiella rafaelae

Tailored Disorder in Photonics: Learning from Nature

The spider cuticle: a remarkable material toolbox for functional diversity

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