Directionally controlled fluorescence emission in butterflies.
Recently developed, high-efficiency, light-emitting diodes use two-dimensional photonic crystals to enhance the extraction of otherwise internally trapped light and multilayer reflectors to control the direction of light emission. This work describes the characterization of a naturally evolved light-extraction system on the wing scales of a small group of Papilio butterflies. The efficient extraction of fluorescence from these scales is facilitated by a two-dimensional photonic crystal slab that uses a multilayer to help control emission direction. Its light-extraction function is analogous to that of the light-emitting diode.
Vukusic
Pete
P
School of Physics, Exeter University, Exeter EX4 4QL, UK. p.vukusic@ex.ac.uk
Hooper
Ian
I
D000818:Animals; D002080:Butterflies; D003461:Crystallography; D005453:Fluorescence