Issue |
EPL
Volume 119, Number 6, September 2017
|
|
---|---|---|
Article Number | 66003 | |
Number of page(s) | 7 | |
Section | Condensed Matter: Structural, Mechanical and Thermal Properties | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/119/66003 | |
Published online | 29 November 2017 |
Exploring structural colour in uni- and multi-coloured butterfly wings and Ag+ uptake by scales
Nanoscience and Soft Matter Laboratory, Department of Physics, Tezpur University - PO: Napaam, Tezpur, Assam 784028, India
(a) best@tezu.ernet.in (corresponding author)
Received: 12 April 2017
Accepted: 17 October 2017
We discuss the origin of the structural colour of different butterfly wings in the light of the typical built-in microstructural arrangement of scales that are comprised of chitin-melanin layer and air-gaps. Three specimens of butterfly wings namely, Papilio Liomedon (black), Catopsilia Pyranthe (light green) and Vanessa Cardui (multi-coloured) were chosen and diffuse reflectance characteristics have been aquired for normal incidence of p-polarized light. Moreover, the time-dependent uptake of Ag+ into scales has led to swelling and spread of the chitinous ridges and ribs, with revelation of micro-beads in Catopsilia Pyranthe specimen. The reduction of the number of air-gaps between any two parallel ridges is attributed to the merging of adjacent gaps possessing a common boundary. The availability of Ag at the centre of a chosen ridge, for every wing type, follows an exponential growing trend, . Precise inclusion of nanoscale metals into natural photonic systems would provide new insight, while applying principles of photonics and plasmonics simultaneously.
PACS: 61.46.-w – Structure of nanoscale materials / 78.40.-q – Absorption and reflection spectra: visible and ultraviolet / 68.37.-d – Microscopy of surfaces, interfaces, and thin films
© EPLA, 2017
Current usage metrics show cumulative count of Article Views (full-text article views including HTML views, PDF and ePub downloads, according to the available data) and Abstracts Views on Vision4Press platform.
Data correspond to usage on the plateform after 2015. The current usage metrics is available 48-96 hours after online publication and is updated daily on week days.
Initial download of the metrics may take a while.