Full determination of the optical properties of the photonic crystal of the Diamond Weevil with new technique

The Diamond Weevil, Entimus imperialis, has stunning body coloration created by rows of greenish stars, assemblies of brightly reflecting wing scales, consisting of large domains with a unique optical structure, a diamond-type photonic crystal. 

For the first time researchers of the University of Groningen could fully determine the optical properties of the photonic crystal by using a novel imaging technique, which allows rapid characterization of all types of photonic structures. The unraveled complex chitinous structure in the scales, found to be optimized for high reflectance, will inspire bio-mimetic applications. The new findings can also radiate into other fields, e.g. to design more efficient green-energy devices.

The findings are published in Interface, Journal of the Royal Society, 21 December 2011: http://www.rug.nl/corporate/nieuws/archief/archief2011/nieuwsberichten/RSIF20110730p.pdf [PDF]

 

More information: Prof. Doekele Stavenga, Computational Physics, tel. +(0)50-363 4785, d.g.stavenga@rug.nl