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20 August 2020 Active nanophotonic structure in iridoplasts of begonias
Alex Qiu, Hugh Perryman, O-Phart Phrathep, Heather Whitney, Ruth Oulton
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Proceedings Volume 11461, Active Photonic Platforms XII; 114610F (2020) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2569108
Event: SPIE Nanoscience + Engineering, 2020, Online Only
Abstract
So-called ‘iridoplasts’ found in certain species of the genus Begonia are alike to common chloroplasts found in most plants, but with a modified, periodic internal structure reminiscent of a 1D photonic crystal. Modelling indicates that this structure gives the Begonias their iridescent blue leaves, while also enhancing the absorption of photosynthetically active radiation. We will present an overview of the nano-optical theory underlying the model of iridoplasts, contrasting the design goals and constraints of biological and artificial systems. We use a simplified optical model based on Lorentz oscillators to answer the question of if the measured structure parameters of the iridoplasts are photonically optimised or if they reflect other biological constraints. Our results show that optimised photonic absorbers will not necessarily have high reflectance, raising the possibility that photonic structures for light harvesting in nature are more common than previously believed.
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Alex Qiu, Hugh Perryman, O-Phart Phrathep, Heather Whitney, and Ruth Oulton "Active nanophotonic structure in iridoplasts of begonias", Proc. SPIE 11461, Active Photonic Platforms XII, 114610F (20 August 2020); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2569108
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KEYWORDS
Nanophotonics
Absorption
Defense and security
Light harvesting
Modeling
Nanostructuring
Photonic crystals
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