Abstract
In this study, the tunable properties of a bio-lens from a deep-sea shrimp were investigated for the first time using magnetic fields. The skin of the shrimp exhibited a brilliantly colored reflection of incident white light. The light reflecting parts and the oil droplets in the shrimp’s skin were observed in a glass slide sample cell using a digital microscope that operated in the bore of two superconducting magnets (maximum strengths of 5 and 13 T). In the ventral skin of the shrimp, which contained many oil droplets, some comparatively large oil droplets (50 to 150 μm in diameter) were present. A distinct response to magnetic fields was found in these large oil droplets. Further, the application of the magnetic fields to the sample cell caused a change in the size of the oil droplets. The phenomena observed in this work indicate that the oil droplets of deep sea shrimp can act as lenses in which the optical focusing can be modified via the application of external magnetic fields. The results of this study will make it possible to fabricate bio-inspired soft optical devices in future.
Highlights
Deep-sea creatures often have specialized optical units that are biologically constructed for the purposes of camouflage and for members of the same species to communicate with each other as well as with other species.[1,2,3,4] The most important optical units for deep-sea animals are their eyes and various types of light-emitting tissue called photophores
Previous studies in the literature in the field of magnetism suggest that spheres made from lipid membranes cause internal structural changes that result in sphere deformation via diamagnetic torque forces that act on the lipid molecules,[8,9] which align themselves normal to the external magnetic fields
Based on the mechanism of this magnetic field effect, the present study focused on the behaviors of the oil droplets that are found on the skin of two species of deep sea shrimp
Summary
Deep-sea creatures often have specialized optical units that are biologically constructed for the purposes of camouflage and for members of the same species to communicate with each other as well as with other species.[1,2,3,4] The most important optical units for deep-sea animals are their eyes and various types of light-emitting tissue called photophores. With regard to the photophores of deep sea shrimp,[5,6,7] it was reported that in one species an oil droplet assists the light emission process in the photophore cell in cooperation with a light reflecting protein.[6] previous studies in the literature in the field of magnetism suggest that spheres made from lipid membranes cause internal structural changes that result in sphere deformation via diamagnetic torque forces that act on the lipid molecules,[8,9] which align themselves normal to the external magnetic fields. Based on the mechanism of this magnetic field effect, the present study focused on the behaviors of the oil droplets that are found on the skin (cuticula layer) of two species of deep sea shrimp. By carefully observing the deformation of the oil droplets’ shapes under magnetic fields with strengths between 0.3 and 13 T, we were able to demonstrate for the first time a flexible lens whose focus can be controlled using a diamagnetic mechanism
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