Thin Film and Multilayer Optics Cause Structural Colors of Many Insects and Birds

Structural effects contribute to the coloration of many animals. Whereas extremely complex structures have evolved, often coloration is due to the most simple structure, namely a thin film. Here we present a number of examples where thin film optics plays a prominent role, namely in insect wings and bird feathers. Most butterfly wing scales have a lower lamina that prominently determines the color. Damselfly wings with protrusions have reduced thin film reflections. A limited stack of multilayers features also distinct thin film properties, as is shown for feather barbules of the bird of paradise, Lawes’ parotia. A simple method to derive the thickness of the wing structures is described.

This article originally appeared in Materials Today: Proceedings 1, Supplement, 2014, Pages 109-121