A tunable reflector enabling crustaceans to see but not be seen

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Shavit, Keshet; Wagner, Avital; Schertel, Lukas; Farstey, Viviana; Akkaynak, Derya; Zhang, Gan; Upcher, Alexander; Sagi, Amir; Yallapragada, Venkata Jayasurya; Haataja, Johannes; Palmer, Benjamin A.
• 署名单位: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; University of Cambridge; University of Fribourg; The Inter-University Institute for Marine Sciences; University of Haifa; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Indian Institute of Technology System (IIT System); Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) - Kanpur; Lanzhou University
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-8244
• DOI: 10.1126/science.add4099
• 发表日期: 2023-02-17
• 页码: 695-700
• 关键词: superposition optics; ontogeny; eyes; camouflage; vision

摘要

Many oceanic prey animals use transparent bodies to avoid detection. However, conspicuous eye pigments, required for vision, compromise the organisms' ability to remain unseen. We report the discovery of a reflector overlying the eye pigments in larval decapod crustaceans and show how it is tuned to render the organisms inconspicuous against the background. The ultracompact reflector is constructed from a photonic glass of crystalline isoxanthopterin nanospheres. The nanospheres' size and ordering are modulated to tune the reflectance from deep blue to yellow, enabling concealment in different habitats. The reflector may also function to enhance the acuity or sensitivity of the minute eyes by acting as an optical screen between photoreceptors. This multifunctional reflector offers inspiration for constructing tunable artificial photonic materials from biocompatible organic molecules.