Biomimetization of butterfly wings by the conformal-evaporated-film-by-rotation technique for photonics

Mimetization of biological structures aims to take advantage of their spatial features for the development of devices of tailored functionality. In this work, we replicated the wing of a butterfly at the micro- and nanoscales by implementing the conformal-evaporated-film-by-rotation (CEFR) technique. Chalcogenide glasses were used due to their good optical and mechanical properties. Morphological characterization and optical measurements indicate high-fidelity replication of the original biotemplate; furthermore, the optical properties of the butterfly wings have a structural origin. The CEFR technique might be useful for the fabrication of highly efficient, biomimetic optical devices. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.