Published May 15, 2007 | Version v1
Journal article

Insights from nature: Optical biomimetics

  • 1. Optical Fibre Technology Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW (Australia) and School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW (Australia)
  • 2. Optical Fibre Technology Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW (Australia)
  • 3. School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW (Australia)

Description

This paper reviews some examples of structural colour in nature, and examples in which these structures have served as a direct inspiration for technological applications, for example, in display technology or optical security. In other cases, biological structures suggest a new perspective on optical design. In this paper, we explore two examples of this approach. In one case we examine the role of an evolutionary constraint (low refractive index contrasts), and in the other the need to satisfy several different design objectives simultaneously

Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.1016/j.physb.2006.12.016;
PII
S0921-4526(06)01906-5;

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Physica. B, Condensed Matter
Journal Volume
394
Journal Issue
2
Journal Page Range
p. 229-232
ISSN
0921-4526
CODEN
PHYBE3

Conference

Title
7. international conference on electrical transport and optical properties of inhomogeneous media
Dates
9-13 Jul 2006
Place
Sydney (Australia)

INIS

Country of Publication
Netherlands
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
38087887
Subject category
S75: CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY;
Resource subtype / Literary indicator
Conference
Descriptors DEI
COLOR; CRYSTALS; DESIGN; OPTICS; REFRACTIVE INDEX; REVIEWS
Descriptors DEC
DOCUMENT TYPES; OPTICAL PROPERTIES; ORGANOLEPTIC PROPERTIES; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Optional Information

Copyright
Copyright (c) 2007 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.