Peacock feathers are amazing. They can also emit laser beams

Peacock feathers are The bright iridescent colors are very admirable, but they have proven to emit laser light when dyed multiple times. Paper Published in the journal Scientific Reports. According to the author, this First example The biological enzyme cavity in the animal kingdom.

As Previous reportsbright iridescent colors such as peacock feathers and butterfly wings are not any pigment molecules, but from their structure. For example, chitin scales in butterfly wings (polysaccharides shared by insects) are arranged like roof tiles. Essentially, they form Diffraction gratingexcept that the photonic crystal produces only light of light or wavelengths, while the diffraction grating will produce the entire spectrum, just like a prism.

As far as peacock feathers are concerned, this is Babrus– The fibrous component consists of ordered melanin rods coated with keratin to produce iridescent colors. Different colors correspond to different spacings of Babrus.

Both are examples of what physicists call natural occurrence Photonic crystal. Photonic crystals, also known as photonic bandgap materials, are “tunable”, meaning they are ordered accurately in a way that prevents light of certain wavelengths while allowing others to pass through. By changing the structure by changing the size of the tiles, the crystals are sensitive to different wavelengths. (In fact, the rainbow weevil Can be controlled The size of its scale and the number of chitin are used to fine-tune the number of these colors as needed. )

Even better (from an application perspective), perception of color does not depend on perspective. Scales are not only for aesthetics; they help protect insects from elements. There are several types of Artificial photonic crystalsbut a better, more detailed understanding of how these structures grow in nature can help scientists design new materials with similar qualities, such as iridescent windows, self-cleaning surfaces of cars and buildings, and even waterproof textiles. Banknotes can incorporate encrypted iridescent patterns into foil making.

There were any previous examples of random laser emissions in everything that was done in stains Bovine bones and Blue coral skeleton arrive Insect Wings,,,,, Parrot feathersand Human tissuealso Salmon Iris. The authors of this latest study are interested in whether they can use peacock feathers to generate similar laser emissions and hope to identify specific mechanisms.

Given their popularity for decorative and craft purposes, the authors did make sure that none of the feathers used in the experiments were impurities (such as dyes), but it was not difficult to raise peacock feathers. They cut off the barbs of what length they were and mounted the feathers on the absorbent substrate. They then injected the feathers into the feathers by placing the dye solution directly on them and letting them dry. In some cases, the feathers are stained multiple times. They then pump the sample with light pulses and measure any generated emissions.

The group observed laser emissions in all color areas of the feather eye spots in two different wavelengths, and the green area emitted the strongest laser light. However, they did not observe any laser emission from only one dyed feather emission, only in sample feathers that had undergone multiple wetting and complete drying cycles. This may be due to better diffusion of dyes and solvents into Babres, as well as possible loosening of the fibrils in the keratin sheath.

The authors were unable to determine the precise microstructure responsible for the laser. It doesn’t seem to be due to the keratin-coated melatonin rod. Nathan Dawson, co-author of Florida Tech Suggested science Protein particles or similar small structures inside the feathers may function as a laser cavity. He and his colleagues believe that one day their work could lead to the development of biocompatible lasers that can be safely embedded in the human body for perception, imaging and therapeutic purposes.

This story originally appeared in ARS Technica.