uncovering-hidden-dynamics-natural-photonic-structures-using

Uncovering Hidden Dynamics of Natural Photonic Structures Using Holographic Imaging

In this method, the potential of optics and holography to uncover hidden details of a natural system's dynamical response at the nanoscale is exploited. ...

University of Belgrade

Université de Mons

In this perspective article, we review the optical study of different biophotonic geometries and biological structures using classical light in linear and nonlinear regime, especially highlighting the link between these morphologies and modern biomedical research. Additionally, the importance of nonlinear optical study in biological research, beyond traditional cell imaging is also highlighted and described. Finally, we present a short introduction regarding nonclassical light and describe the new future perspective of quantum optical study in biology, revealing the link between quantum realm and biological research.

Linear and nonlinear optical effects in biophotonic structures using classical and nonclassical light.

Upon illumination by ultraviolet light, many animal species emit light through fluorescence processes arising from fluorophores embedded within their biological tissues. Fluorescence studies in living organisms are however relatively scarce and so far limited to the linear regime. Multiphoton excitation fluorescence analyses as well as nonlinear optical techniques offer unique possibilities to investigate the effects of the local environment on the excited states of fluorophores. Herein, these techniques are applied for the first time to study of the naturally controlled fluorescence in insects. The case of the male  beetle is investigated because the scales covering the beetle's elytra are known to possess an internal photonic structure with embedded fluorophores, which controls both the beetle's coloration and the fluorescence emission. An intense two-photon excitation fluorescence signal is observed, the intensity of which changes upon contact with water. A third-harmonic generation signal is also detected, the intensity of which depends on the light polarization state. The analysis of these nonlinear optical and fluorescent responses unveils the multi-excited states character of the fluorophore molecules embedded in the beetle's elytra. The role of form anisotropy in the photonic structure, which causes additional tailoring of the beetle's optical responses, is demonstrated by circularly polarized light and nonlinear optical measurements.

Nonlinear optical spectroscopy and two-photon excited fluorescence spectroscopy reveal the excited states of fluorophores embedded in a beetle's elytra.

The wings of some insect species are known to fluoresce under illumination by ultraviolet light. Their fluorescence properties are however, not comprehensively documented. In this article, the optical properties of one specific insect, the Trictenotoma childreni yellow longhorn beetle, were investigated using both linear and nonlinear optical (NLO) methods, including one- and two-photon fluorescence and second harmonic generation (SHG). These three distinct optical signals discovered in this beetle are attributed to the presence of fluorophores embedded within the scales covering their elytra. Experimental evidence collected in this study indicates that the fluorophores are non-centrosymmetric, a fundamental requirement for SHG. This study is the first reported optical behavior of this type in insects. We described how NLO techniques can complement other more convenient approaches to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of insect scales and integument properties.

Unveiling the nonlinear optical response of Trictenotoma childreni longhorn beetle.

Modern document protection relies on the simultaneous combination of many optical features with micron and submicron structures, whose complexity is the main obstacle for unauthorized copying. In that sense, documents are best protected by the diffractive optical elements generated lithographically and mass-produced by embossing. The problem is that the resulting security elements are identical, facilitating mass-production of both original and counterfeited documents. Here, we prove that each butterfly wing-scale is structurally and optically unique and can be used as an inimitable optical memory tag and applied for document security. Wing-scales, exhibiting angular variability of their color, were laser-cut and bleached to imprint cryptographic information of an authorized issuer. The resulting optical memory tag is extremely durable, as verified by several century-old insect specimens still retaining their coloration. The described technique is simple, amenable to mass-production, low cost and easy to integrate within the existing security infrastructure.

Naturally safe: Cellular noise for document security.

Convective, conductive and radiative mechanisms of thermal management are extremely important for life. Photonic structures, used to detect infrared radiation (IR) and enhance radiative energy exchange, were observed in a number of organisms. Here we report on sophisticated radiative mechanisms used by Morimus asper funereus, a longicorn beetle whose elytra possess a suitably aligned array of lenslets and blackbodies. Additionally, a dense array of microtrichia hyperuniformly covers blackbodies and operates as a stochastic, full-bandgap, IR-photonic structure. All these features, whose characteristic dimensions cover a range from several hundred down to a few micrometres, operate synergistically to improve the absorption, emission and, possibly, detection of IR radiation. We present a morphological characterization of the elytron, thermal imaging measurements and a theoretical IR model of insect elytron, uncovering a synergistic operation of all structures.

Branko Kolaric

Institute of Physics,
Photonics Center,
Institute of Physics, Photonics Center

University of Belgrade

Uncovering Hidden Dynamics of Natural Photonic Structures Using Holographic Imaging

Branko Kolaric

Institute of Physics,Photonics Center,Institute of Physics, Photonics Center

University of Belgrade

Uncovering Hidden Dynamics of Natural Photonic Structures Using Holographic Imaging

Institute of Physics,
Photonics Center,
Institute of Physics, Photonics Center