title: Spectral filtering of visible light by the cuticle of metallic woodboring beetles and microfabrication of a matching bioinspired material.
abstract: Samples of the cuticle taken from the body of Buprestidae Chrysochroa vittata have been studied by scanning electron microscopy and optical reflectance measurements, related to numerical simulations. The cause of the metallic coloration of the body of these insects is determined to be the structure of the hard carapace constructed as a stack of thin chitin layers separated by very thin irregular air gaps. In particular the change of color as a function of the observation angle is elucidated in terms of an infinite photonic-crystal model, confirmed by finite multilayer calculations. These mechanisms are used to develop an artificial bioinspired multilayer system which reproduces the visual effects provided by the insect surface.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physique du Solide, Facultés Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix, rue de Bruxelles 61, B-5000 Namur, Belgium. jean-pol.vigneron@fundp.ac.be
authors.forename: Jean Pol
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Vigneron
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rassart
authors.forename: Cédric
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vandenbem
authors.forename: Virginie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lousse
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Deparis
authors.forename: László P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Biró
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dedouaire
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cornet
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Defrance
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D005374:Filtration; D008027:Light; D008422:Materials Testing; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D008670:Metals