Optically ambidextrous circularly polarized reflection from the chiral cuticle of the scarab beetle Chrysina resplendens.

ABSTRACT: The evolution of structural colour mechanisms in biological systems has given rise to many interesting optical effects in animals and plants. The instance of the scarab beetle Chrysina resplendens is particularly distinctive. Its exoskeleton has a bright, golden appearance and reflects both right-handed and left-handed circularly polarized light concurrently. The chiral nanostructure responsible for these properties is a helicoid, in which birefringent dielectric planes are assembled with an incremental rotation. This study correlates details of the beetle's circularly polarized reflectance spectra directly with physical aspects of its structural morphology. Electron micrography is used to identify and measure the physical dimensions of the key constituent components. These include a chira

SUBMITTER: Finlayson ED 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5493795 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature