Scattering of light by a sub-monolayer of randomly packed dielectric microspheres giving color effects in transmission

Mickaël Guillaumée; Martha Liley; Raphaël Pugin; Ross P. Stanley

doi:10.1117/12.785120

23 April 2008 Scattering of light by a sub-monolayer of randomly packed dielectric microspheres giving color effects in transmission

Mickaël Guillaumée, Martha Liley, Raphaël Pugin, Ross P. Stanley

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 6988, Nanophotonics II; 69881I (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.785120
Event: SPIE Photonics Europe, 2008, Strasbourg, France

Abstract

In this paper, we show that a two-dimensional random system can display strong structural colors in transmission. Polystyrene microspheres with a diameter between 0.5 and 1μm have been randomly adsorbed onto a glass substrate. In this size range, light is mainly scattered in the forward direction. Consequently, in-plane multiple scattering can be neglected while spheres are not too close to each others. This allows one to use a single scattering approximation to reproduce transmission spectra of the system. Under appropriate conditions, destructive interferences between incident and scattered light can cause a full extinction in the transmission. In our case, transmission can be as low as 5% at some frequency ranges, generating strong color effects. Additionally, the film color changes with the angle of observation. This angular dependant color is reproduced theoretically taking into account multiple scattering between spheres.

Citation Download Citation

Mickaël Guillaumée, Martha Liley, Raphaël Pugin, and Ross P. Stanley "Scattering of light by a sub-monolayer of randomly packed dielectric microspheres giving color effects in transmission", Proc. SPIE 6988, Nanophotonics II, 69881I (23 April 2008); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.785120

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