scholarly journals Bouligand Structures Underlie Circularly Polarized Iridescence of Scarab Beetles: A Closer View

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 161-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivek Sharma ◽  
Matija Crne ◽  
Jung Ok Park ◽  
Mohan Srinivasarao
Keyword(s):  
Circularly Polarized ◽  
Scarab Beetles

scholarly journals Experimental degradation of helicoidal photonic nanostructures in scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): implications for the identification of circularly polarizing cuticle in the fossil record

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (148) ◽  
pp. 20180560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giliane P. Odin ◽  
Maria E. McNamara ◽  
Hans Arwin ◽  
Kenneth Järrendahl
Keyword(s):  
Uric Acid ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Polarized Light ◽  
Circularly Polarized Light ◽  
Circularly Polarized ◽  
Alkaline Conditions ◽  
History Of ◽  
Diagenetic History ◽  
Scarab Beetles

Scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) can exhibit striking colours produced by pigments and/or nanostructures. The latter include helicoidal (Bouligand) structures that can generate circularly polarized light. These have a cryptic evolutionary history in part because fossil examples are unknown. This suggests either a real biological signal, i.e. that Bouligand structures did not evolve until recently, or a taphonomic signal, i.e. that conditions during the fossilization process were not conducive to their preservation. We address this issue by experimentally degrading circularly polarizing cuticle of modern scarab beetles to test the relative roles of decay, maturation and taxonomy in controlling preservation. The results reveal that Bouligand structures have the potential to survive fossilization, but preservation is controlled by taxonomy and the diagenetic history of specimens. Further, cuticle of specific genus ( Chrysina ) is particularly decay-prone in alkaline conditions; this may relate to the presence of certain compounds, e.g. uric acid, in the cuticle of these taxa.

Cuticle reflectivity and optical activity in scarab beetles: the role of uric acid

1971 ◽  
Vol 178 (1051) ◽  
pp. 205-225 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Uric Acid ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Incident Light ◽  
Polarized Light ◽  
Rotatory Power ◽  
Optical Rotatory ◽  
Circularly Polarized Light ◽  
Circularly Polarized ◽  
Optical Rotatory Power ◽  
Scarab Beetles

The iridescent cuticle of certain Rutelino scarab beetles, which is a form optically active and selectively reflects circularly polarized light, incorporates an NH 4 OH -extractable component The ultraviolet absorption spectrum of this component, together with its chromatographic and refractive properties, identify it as uric acid (2,6,8-trihydroxypurine). All species of Plusiotis examined have uric acid in their reflecting layers, as do several species of Anoplognathus. Plusiotis resplendens has a reflecting layer with a uric acid volume fraction of 0.7, P . optima a volume fraction of 0.6. The reflecting layer of P . resplenden s has an anticlockwise helicoidal architecture, the optical thickness of the helicoidal p itch being such that it constructively interferes with visible light wavelengths. An anticlockwise helicoid constructively interferes with only the left circularly polarized component of incident light, right circularly polarized light being transmitted without attenuation. P. resplendens has a 1.8 /xm thick unidirectional layer embedded within the helicoid which functions as a perfect halfwave retardation plate for wavelength 590 nm . This halfwave plate enables the helicoidal reflector in this species to reflect both left and right circularly polarized components of incident light. After passing through the halfwave plate, transmitted right circularly polarized light becomes left circularly polarized ; this light is now reflected and emerges from the cuticle right circularly polarized, after passing back through the halfwave plate. Consequently the total reflectivity of circularly polarized incident light is greater in P. resplendens than in any other species examined; the plate also reduces multiple internal reflexions. Interferometric analysis of the refractive properties of the helicoidal reflectors in species of Plusiotis showed that the ordered incorporation of uric acid increases the birefringence of the system by a factor of five times, e.g. the in tact birefringence of the unidirectional layer of P . resplendens is 0.166 at wavelength 560 nm ; after uric acid extraction the birefringence is reduced to 0.034. As the coefficient of reflexion of a helicoidal reflector is directly proportional to the birefringence of the individual planes comprising the helicoid, beetles incorporating uric acid into their reflecting surfaces reflect circularly polarized light far more efficiently than beetles lacking uric acid. Refractive index values for a single multicomponent plane of the helicoid have been summarized as a biaxial indicatrix, with the Z axis tilte dat 45° to the plane of the epicuticle. Beetle reflecting layers which incorporate uric acid have twenty times greater optical rotatory power compared with reflecting layers lacking this component. Mathematical treatments dealing with helicoidal reflectors predict the form optical rotatory power to be a function of the square of the birefringence, which is in agreement with the experimental observations. To enable uric acid to have the optical effects mentioned above, an epitaxial incorporation into the helicoidal framework is necessary. Although uric acid is a common cytoplasmic reflecting material in arthropods, this is the first record of its presence in an extracellular (cuticular) reflector.

Mueller matrix characterizations of circularly polarized reflections from golden scarab beetles

2020 ◽  
Vol 59 (21) ◽  
pp. F85
Author(s):  
Laura E. Bagge ◽  
Arthur C. Kenton ◽  
Bridget A. Lyons ◽  
Martin F. Wehling ◽  
Dennis H. Goldstein
Keyword(s):  
Mueller Matrix ◽  
Circularly Polarized ◽  
Scarab Beetles

Differential polarization imaging of sickled cells

1988 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 62-63
Author(s):  
Marcos F. Maestre
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Theoretical Approach ◽  
Polarized Light ◽  
Polarization Microscopy ◽  
Spectroscopic Techniques ◽  
Polarization Imaging ◽  
Circularly Polarized Light ◽  
Circularly Polarized ◽  
Microscopic Scale ◽  
Chiral Structures

Recently we have developed a form of polarization microscopy that forms images using optical properties that have previously been limited to macroscopic samples. This has given us a new window into the distribution of structure on a microscopic scale. We have coined the name differential polarization microscopy to identify the images obtained that are due to certain polarization dependent effects. Differential polarization microscopy has its origins in various spectroscopic techniques that have been used to study longer range structures in solution as well as solids. The differential scattering of circularly polarized light has been shown to be dependent on the long range chiral order, both theoretically and experimentally. The same theoretical approach was used to show that images due to differential scattering of circularly polarized light will give images dependent on chiral structures. With large helices (greater than the wavelength of light) the pitch and radius of the helix could be measured directly from these images.

Research progress on organic self-assembling low-dimensional circularly polarized luminescent materials

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (0) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
WANG Meng-Zhu ◽  
◽  
DENG Yong-Jing ◽  
LIU Shu-Juan ◽  
ZHAO Qiang
Keyword(s):  
Research Progress ◽  
Luminescent Materials ◽  
Circularly Polarized ◽  
Self Assembling ◽  
Low Dimensional
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