title: Short-range order and near-field effects on optical scattering and structural coloration.
abstract: We have investigated wavelength-dependent light scattering in biomimetic structures with short-range order. Coherent backscattering experiments are performed to measure the transport mean free path over a wide wavelength range. Overall scattering strength is reduced significantly due to short-range order and near-field effects. Our analysis explains why single scattering of light is dominant over multiple scattering in similar biological structures and is responsible for color generation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Physics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA. sengfatt.liew@yale.edu
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Liew
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Forster
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Noh
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Schreck
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Saranathan
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Richard O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Prum
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: O'Hern
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Dufresne
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D003116:Color; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008027:Light; D008954:Models, Biological; D012031:Refractometry / Q000379:methods*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation