Inorganic chiral 3-D photonic crystals with bicontinuous gyroid structure replicated from butterfly wing scales

摘要

Three dimensional silica photonic crystals with the gyroid minimal surface structure have been synthesized. The butterfly Callophrys rubi was used as a biotemplate. This material represents a significant addition to the small family of synthetic bicontinuous photonic crystals.Photonic crystals are ordered materials used to manipulate light by preventing the propagation of certain wavelengths. Their photonic properties vary mainly as a function of dielectric properties, topology, periodicity and symmetry of the crystal structure.~1 To date most photonic crystals are