Analysing photonic structures in plants |
| |
Authors: | Silvia Vignolini Edwige Moyroud Beverley J. Glover Ullrich Steiner |
| |
Affiliation: | 1.Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK;2.Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK;3.Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK |
| |
Abstract: | The outer layers of a range of plant tissues, including flower petals, leaves and fruits, exhibit an intriguing variation of microscopic structures. Some of these structures include ordered periodic multilayers and diffraction gratings that give rise to interesting optical appearances. The colour arising from such structures is generally brighter than pigment-based colour. Here, we describe the main types of photonic structures found in plants and discuss the experimental approaches that can be used to analyse them. These experimental approaches allow identification of the physical mechanisms producing structural colours with a high degree of confidence. |
| |
Keywords: | structural colour in plants spectroscopy iridescence plant cuticle multilayer interference |
|
|