This document discusses research into mechanically tunable structural color inspired by chameleon skin. The document begins by explaining what structural color is, including how photonic crystals produce structural color. Experiments were conducted to reproduce structural color using self-assembled polystyrene nanospheres on a flexible substrate, and methods to make the color angle-independent were explored, such as suspending crystal fragments in polymer. The research aims to optimize the system to more closely replicate the properties of chameleon skin color changing abilities and find applications such as displays.
Presentation - Mechanical-tunable Structural Color Inspired by Chameleon Skin
1. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Mechanical-tunable Structural Color Inspired
by Chameleon Skin
Polina Abratenko
Lopez Group - Department of Physics and Astronomy
July 23, 2015
1 / 16
5. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
What is structural color?
• Interaction of light with nanoscale structures
• Multilayer scales make up the mother-of-pearl of the
nautilus
• There are a few types of structural color:
• Diffraction grating (butterflies, beetles)
• Photonic crystals (some butterflies)
3 / 16
6. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
What is structural color?
• Interaction of light with nanoscale structures
• Multilayer scales make up the mother-of-pearl of the
nautilus
• There are a few types of structural color:
• Diffraction grating (butterflies, beetles)
• Photonic crystals (some butterflies)
3 / 16
7. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
What is structural color?
• Interaction of light with nanoscale structures
• Multilayer scales make up the mother-of-pearl of the
nautilus
• There are a few types of structural color:
• Diffraction grating (butterflies, beetles)
• Photonic crystals (some butterflies)
3 / 16
8. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
What is structural color?
• Interaction of light with nanoscale structures
• Multilayer scales make up the mother-of-pearl of the
nautilus
• There are a few types of structural color:
• Diffraction grating (butterflies, beetles)
• Photonic crystals (some butterflies)
3 / 16
9. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
What is structural color?
• Interaction of light with nanoscale structures
• Multilayer scales make up the mother-of-pearl of the
nautilus
• There are a few types of structural color:
• Diffraction grating (butterflies, beetles)
• Photonic crystals (some butterflies)
3 / 16
10. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Photonic crystals
• Made up of different dielectric materials periodically
arranged in space
• Light passes through lattice, but not band gap
• Wavelength disallowed by band gap is the wavelength of
the reflected color
4 / 16
11. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Photonic crystals
• Made up of different dielectric materials periodically
arranged in space
• Light passes through lattice, but not band gap
• Wavelength disallowed by band gap is the wavelength of
the reflected color
4 / 16
12. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Photonic crystals
• Made up of different dielectric materials periodically
arranged in space
• Light passes through lattice, but not band gap
• Wavelength disallowed by band gap is the wavelength of
the reflected color
4 / 16
13. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
• Recently discovered: chameleon skin uses structural color
(photonic crystals)
• Most notable: panther chameleon (pictured above)
5 / 16
14. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Chameleon skin
Nature Communications 6, Article number: 6368
6 / 16
15. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Flat films
• Reproduced structural color with self-assembled
Polystyrene nanospheres
• Poly(dimethylsiloxane)(PDMS) substrate
• Swelling in silicone oil
7 / 16
16. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Flat films
• Reproduced structural color with self-assembled
Polystyrene nanospheres
• Poly(dimethylsiloxane)(PDMS) substrate
• Swelling in silicone oil
7 / 16
17. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Flat films
• Reproduced structural color with self-assembled
Polystyrene nanospheres
• Poly(dimethylsiloxane)(PDMS) substrate
• Swelling in silicone oil
7 / 16
19. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
θ-φ Graphs of intensity at
wavelength
9 / 16
20. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Intensity along the visible light
spectrum for the two θ-φ angles
10 / 16
21. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Intensity along the visible light
spectrum for the two θ-φ angles
11 / 16
22. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Angle-independent system
• Suspended fragments of crystal
12 / 16
23. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Macroscopic angle independence
• Could achieve more angle independence on the macro-
scale with optimization
• Higher concentration of suspended particles in polymer
• Smaller fragments
• More controlled array of fragments
13 / 16
24. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Macroscopic angle independence
• Could achieve more angle independence on the macro-
scale with optimization
• Higher concentration of suspended particles in polymer
• Smaller fragments
• More controlled array of fragments
13 / 16
25. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Macroscopic angle independence
• Could achieve more angle independence on the macro-
scale with optimization
• Higher concentration of suspended particles in polymer
• Smaller fragments
• More controlled array of fragments
13 / 16
26. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Macroscopic angle independence
• Could achieve more angle independence on the macro-
scale with optimization
• Higher concentration of suspended particles in polymer
• Smaller fragments
• More controlled array of fragments
13 / 16
27. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Conclusion
• Mechanical-tuning methods were used to change the color
of a film consisting of photonic crystals
• Lattice constant in (1,1,1) direction decreases and
reflectant peak moves to shorter wavelength
• Could introduce a macroscopic angle-independent system
• Possible to optimize
• In future, could replicate chameleon skin with higher
accuracy
• Many applications (displays, sensors, industrial, military,
etc.)
14 / 16
28. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Conclusion
• Mechanical-tuning methods were used to change the color
of a film consisting of photonic crystals
• Lattice constant in (1,1,1) direction decreases and
reflectant peak moves to shorter wavelength
• Could introduce a macroscopic angle-independent system
• Possible to optimize
• In future, could replicate chameleon skin with higher
accuracy
• Many applications (displays, sensors, industrial, military,
etc.)
14 / 16
29. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Conclusion
• Mechanical-tuning methods were used to change the color
of a film consisting of photonic crystals
• Lattice constant in (1,1,1) direction decreases and
reflectant peak moves to shorter wavelength
• Could introduce a macroscopic angle-independent system
• Possible to optimize
• In future, could replicate chameleon skin with higher
accuracy
• Many applications (displays, sensors, industrial, military,
etc.)
14 / 16
30. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Conclusion
• Mechanical-tuning methods were used to change the color
of a film consisting of photonic crystals
• Lattice constant in (1,1,1) direction decreases and
reflectant peak moves to shorter wavelength
• Could introduce a macroscopic angle-independent system
• Possible to optimize
• In future, could replicate chameleon skin with higher
accuracy
• Many applications (displays, sensors, industrial, military,
etc.)
14 / 16
31. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Conclusion
• Mechanical-tuning methods were used to change the color
of a film consisting of photonic crystals
• Lattice constant in (1,1,1) direction decreases and
reflectant peak moves to shorter wavelength
• Could introduce a macroscopic angle-independent system
• Possible to optimize
• In future, could replicate chameleon skin with higher
accuracy
• Many applications (displays, sensors, industrial, military,
etc.)
14 / 16
32. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Conclusion
• Mechanical-tuning methods were used to change the color
of a film consisting of photonic crystals
• Lattice constant in (1,1,1) direction decreases and
reflectant peak moves to shorter wavelength
• Could introduce a macroscopic angle-independent system
• Possible to optimize
• In future, could replicate chameleon skin with higher
accuracy
• Many applications (displays, sensors, industrial, military,
etc.)
14 / 16
33. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Acknowledgments
• Rene Lopez, Yulan Fu, and Cary Tippets
• MIRT and NSF
• Kacey Hammel and Kathy Wood
15 / 16
34. Mechanical-
tunable
Structural
Color Inspired
by Chameleon
Skin
Polina
Abratenko
What is
structural color?
Photonic crystals
Chameleon
structures
Flat film
methods
Flat film results
Angle-
independent
system methods
Angle-
independent
system results
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Questions and
comments
Any questions or comments?
• A camouflaged panther chameleon
16 / 16