0385186 - ÚPT 2013 RIV CH eng J - Journal Article
Mika, Filip - Matějková-Plšková, J. - Jiwajinda, S. - Dechkrong, P. - Shiojiri, M.
Photonic Crystal Structure and Coloration of Wing Scales of Butterflies Exhibiting Selective Wavelength Iridescence.
Materials. Roč. 5, č. 5 (2012), s. 754-771. ISSN 1996-1944. E-ISSN 1996-1944
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT ED0017/01/01
Institutional support: RVO:68081731
Keywords : butterfly scale * structure color * natural photonic crystal * E. mulciber * S. charonda * C. ataxus * T. aeacus
Subject RIV: JJ - Other Materials
Impact factor: 2.247, year: 2012 ; AIS: 0.637, rok: 2012
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ma5050754

The coloration of butterflies that exhibit human visible iridescence from violet to green has been elucidated. Highly tilted multilayers of cuticle on the ridges, which were found in the scales of male S. charonda and E. mulciber butterflies, produce a limited-view, selective wavelength iridescence (ultraviolet (UV)similar to green) as a result of multiple interference between the cuticle-air layers. The iridescence from C. ataxus originates from multilayers in the groove plates between the ridges and ribs. The interference takes place between the top and bottom surfaces of each layer and incoherently between different layers. Consequently, the male with the layers that are similar to 270 nm thick reflects light of UV similar to 560 nm (green) and the female with the layers that are similar to 191 nm thick reflects light of UV similar to 400 nm (violet). T. aeacus does not produce the iridescent sheen which T. magellanus does. No iridescent sheen is ascribed to microrib layers, which are perpendicular to the scale plane, so that they cannot reflect any backscattering. The structures of these butterflies would provide us helpful hints to manipulate light in photoelectric devices, such as blue or UV LEDs.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0214521