Brilliant whiteness in ultrathin beetle scales.
The colored appearances of animals are controlled by pigmentation, highly periodic ultrastructure, or a combination of both. Whiteness, however, is less common and is generated by neither of these, because it requires scattering processes appropriate for all visible wavelengths. We report whiteness resulting from a three-dimensional photonic solid in the scales of Cyphochilus spp. beetles. Their scales are characterized by their exceptional whiteness, their perceived brightness, and their optical brilliance, but they are only 5 micrometers thick. This thickness is at least two orders of magnitude thinner than common synthetic systems designed for equivalent-quality whiteness.
Vukusic
Pete
P
School of Physics, Exeter University, Exeter EX4 4QL, UK. P.Vukusic@ex.ac.uk
Hallam
Benny
B
Noyes
Joe
J
D000818:Animals; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003116:Color; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D007834:Lasers; D008027:Light; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D012542:Scattering, Radiation