Optical characterization of iridescent wings of butterflies using multilayer rigorous coupled wave analysis

Guanglan Liao; Yanbo Cao; Tielin Shi; Haibo Zuo; Ping Peng; Zirong Tang

doi:10.1117/12.823328

19 February 2009 Optical characterization of iridescent wings of butterflies using multilayer rigorous coupled wave analysis

Guanglan Liao, Yanbo Cao, Tielin Shi, Haibo Zuo, Ping Peng, Zirong Tang

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7279, Photonics and Optoelectronics Meetings (POEM) 2008: Optoelectronic Devices and Integration; 72791P (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.823328
Event: Photonics and Optoelectronics Meetings, 2008, Wuhan, China

Abstract

In certain species of moths and butterflies iridescent colors arise from sub-wavelength diffractive surface corrugation of the wing-scales. The optical properties of such structures depend strongly on the wavelength, the incidence angle, the polarization of illuminating radiation, and the index of ambient medium. In this paper, after getting the SEM picture of the dorsal scales of the Morpho didius butterfly, we construct a bionic two dimension model, whose ridge contains a certain quasi-periodic arrangement of tree-like sub-wavelength microstructures. Then using a multilayer rigorous coupled wave analysis method in two dimensions, we study the reflection spectra of the wings of Morpho didius butterfly by simulating the multilayer model of a transverse cross-section comprised of the ground scale. Here we assume that the structure is made of a slightly lossy dielectric material and analyzed the polarization, the incidence angle and the index of ambient medium which affect the reflection spectra strongly. The results got, have revealed the natural phenomenon of iridescent colors and color-changed in essence, and the simulation results enable an artificial microsensor which discriminate vapor or component by reflective efficiency spectra.

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Guanglan Liao, Yanbo Cao, Tielin Shi, Haibo Zuo, Ping Peng, and Zirong Tang "Optical characterization of iridescent wings of butterflies using multilayer rigorous coupled wave analysis", Proc. SPIE 7279, Photonics and Optoelectronics Meetings (POEM) 2008: Optoelectronic Devices and Integration, 72791P (19 February 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.823328

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KEYWORDS

Reflectivity

Diffraction

Diffraction gratings

Refractive index

Computer simulations

Dielectric polarization

Multilayers

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