@inproceedings{7b214ebe183a4c0b8f348162d48f2f4f,
title = "Towards replication of the exoskeleton of Lamprocyphus augustus for photonic applications",
abstract = "The characteristic brilliant green iridescence of beetles of the species Lamprocyphus augustus arises from the elaborate multidomain photonic structure of its exoskeleton. The conformal-evaporated-film-by-rotation (CEFR) technique was used to conformally coat the exoskeletons of L. augustus specimen with GeOx thin films. The exoskeletal surface structure was found to be accurately replicated at the micro-scale by the coatings. Moreover, the reflectance spectrums of an uncoated exoskeleton and a conformally coated exoskeleton turned out to display comparable overall characteristics in the visible and the near-infrared regimes, confirming that the structure of the exoskeleton was replicated with high fidelity by the coating, thus preserving its optical functionality. An attempt to fabricate a freestanding replica of an exoskeleton by immersion of a coated exoskeleton in an aqueous solution of orthophosphoric acid yielded encouraging results.",
author = "Akhlesh Lakhtakia and Mart{\'i}n-Palma, {Ra{\'u}l J.} and Pantano, {Carlo G.}",
year = "2009",
doi = "10.1117/12.823409",
language = "English (US)",
isbn = "9780819476913",
series = "Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering",
booktitle = "Biomimetics and Bioinspiration",
note = "Biomimetics and Bioinspiration ; Conference date: 02-08-2009 Through 03-08-2009",
}