Spectral filtering of visible light by the cuticle of metallic woodboring beetles and microfabrication
of a matching bioinspired material
JournalName :
Physical Review E
PubDateYear :
2006
PubDateOther :
Volume :
73
Issue :
StartPage :
041905-1
EndPage :
041905-8
Keywords :
Notes :
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.
