Coloration strategies in peacock feathers.
We report the mechanism of color production in peacock feathers. We find that the cortex in differently colored barbules, which contains a 2D photonic-crystal structure, is responsible for coloration. Simulations reveal that the photonic-crystal structure possesses a partial photonic bandgap along the direction normal to the cortex surface, for frequencies within which light is strongly reflected. Coloration strategies in peacock feathers are very ingenious and simple: controlling the lattice constant and the number of periods in the photonic-crystal structure. Varying the lattice constant produces diversified colors. The reduction of the number of periods brings additional colors, causing mixed coloration.
Zi
Jian
J
Surface Physics Laboratory (National Key Laboratory) and T-Center for Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China. jzi@fudan.edu.cn
Yu
Xindi
X
Li
Yizhou
Y
Hu
Xinhua
X
Xu
Chun
C
Wang
Xingjun
X
Liu
Xiaohan
X
Fu
Rongtang
R
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D005241:Feathers / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008857:Microscopy, Interference; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000502:physiology*