title: Biomimetic gyroid nanostructures exceeding their natural origins.
abstract: Using optical two-beam lithography with improved resolution and enhanced mechanical strength, we demonstrate the replication of gyroid photonic nanostructures found in the butterfly Callophrys rubi. These artificial structures are shown to have size, controllability, and uniformity that are superior to those of their biological counterparts. In particular, the elastic Young's modulus of fabricated nanowires is enhanced by up to 20%. As such, the circular dichroism enabled by the gyroid nanostructures can operate in the near-ultraviolet wavelength region, shorter than that supported by the natural butterfly wings of C. rubi. This fabrication technique provides a unique tool for extracting three-dimensional photonic designs from nature and will aid the investigation of biomimetic nanostructures.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Micro-Photonics, Faculty of Science, Engineering, and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122, Australia.
authors.forename: Zongsong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.affiliation: Centre for Micro-Photonics, Faculty of Science, Engineering, and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122, Australia.
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: Centre for Micro-Photonics, Faculty of Science, Engineering, and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122, Australia.; Centre for Ultrahigh-bandwidth Devices for Optical Systems (CUDOS), Faculty of Science, Engineering, and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122, Australia.; Artificial-Intelligence Nanophotonics Laboratory, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D032701:Biomimetics / Q000379:methods; D002080:Butterflies; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D008422:Materials Testing; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000737:chemistry
keywords: Gyroid nano-structures; biomimetics; circular dichroism; mechanical strength; optical two-beam lithography