The Photonic Beetle: Nature Builds Diamond-Like Crystals For Future Optical Computers
Tuesday, May 20, 2008 - 05:14
in Physics & Chemistry
Researchers have been unable to build an ideal “photonic crystal” to manipulate visible light, impeding the dream of ultrafast optical computers. But now, University of Utah chemists have discovered that nature already has designed photonic crystals with the ideal, diamond-like structure: They are found in the shimmering, iridescent green scales of a beetle from Brazil.