Abstract
Slab photonic crystals (PhCs) are photonic structures used in many modern optical technologies. Fabrication of these components is costly and usually involves eco‐unfriendly methods, requiring modern nanofabrication techniques and cleanroom facilities. This work describes that diatom microalgae evolved elaborate and highly reproducible slab PhCs in the girdle, a part of their silicon dioxide exoskeletons. Under natural conditions in water, the girdle of the centric diatom Coscinodiscus granii shows a well‐defined optical pseudogap for modes in the near‐infrared (NIR). This pseudogap shows dispersion toward the visible spectral range when light is incident at larger angles, eventually facilitating in‐plane propagation for modes in the green spectral range. The optical features can be modulated with refractive index contrast. The unit cell period, a critical factor controlling the pseudogap, is highly preserved within individuals of a long‐term cultivated inbred line and between at least four different C. granii cell culture strains tested in this study. Other diatoms present similar unit cell morphologies with various periods. Diatoms thereby offer a wide range of PhC structures, reproducible and equipped with well‐defined properties, possibly covering the entire UV‐vis–NIR spectral range. Diatoms therefore offer an alternative as cost‐effective and environmentally friendly produced photonic materials.
Highlights
Photonic crystals (PhCs) are those referred to as slab PhCs.[12]
The sPhCs are increasingly common in cutting edge nature, where they have been described for different biological technologies, ranging from low footprint lasers[13] to quantum phyla within the animal kingdom, foremost in invertebrates[4] optics,[14] but such sPhC have not been observed in nature
One of the natural structures more commonly suggested have been mostly attributed to functions related to color pro- to present PhC properties evolved in diatoms
Summary
Tures on the wavelength scale of light—have a wide range of As the slab acts as a waveguide, the periodic nanostructure applications in optical technologies, including high power can modify light propagation, causing photonic band gaps, i.e., lasers and quantum logic devices.[1,2,3] Recent observations directions for which light of a given wavelength cannot propaconfirmed that PhCs with different functionalities evolved in gate. One of the natural structures more commonly suggested have been mostly attributed to functions related to color pro- to present PhC properties evolved in diatoms. These globally duction,[4] some recent discoveries demonstrated the presence abundant microalgae feature a unique structure called the frus-
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