Light Transport: Anisotropic Light Transport in White Beetle Scales (Advanced Optical Materials 10/2015)

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc

E-ISSN: 2195-1071|3|10|1336-1336

ISSN: 2195-1071

Source: ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS (ELECTRONIC), Vol.3, Iss.10, 2015-10, pp. : 1336-1336

Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.

Previous Menu Next

Abstract

The nanostructured complex chitin network inside Cyphochilus white beetle scales is responsible for their exceptional bright whiteness. On page 1337, L. Cortese, D. S. Wiersma, and co‐workers show how, despite their low refractive index and extremely low thickness (around 7 micrometers), the scales reflect diffusively more than 70% of incident light. Such high reflectance is obtained by taking advantage of the optimized structural anisotropy of the chitin network. In this image a particular of the interior of two dissected scales is shown.