Abstract
Structural coloration, which is based on spectrally selective scattering from optical structures, has recently attracted wide attention as a replacement of pigment colors based on the selective light absorption in chemical structures. Structural colors can be produced from transparent non-toxic materials and provide high stability under solar radiation. To provide angle independent non-iridescent colors, the structure should combine spectral selectivity with an isotropic response. Photonic glass (PhG), a disordered arrangement of monodisperse spheres, is a versatile structure to achieve that, which provides isotropic spectral selectivity via short-range order and Mie resonances. However, conventional PhGs show low color purity that hinders their future application. The interplay of single-particle scattering, short-range order, broadband absorption, and Fresnel reflection is a route to improve the color. In this perspective, we review the field of PhG based structural colors and discuss the physical mechanism behind the color generation by several established theories. We point out the current challenges in the theory and possible directions to improve color purity.
Highlights
For the non-iridescent structural colors obtained with Photonic glass (PhG), the color position is normally close to the white point due to the intrinsic poor spectral selectivity [Fig. 2(c)], as will be described below
To increase spectral selectivity and color purity is the main goal of the research of structural color based on PhGs [Figs. 2(b) and 2(d)]
Several approximations were introduced to describe and explain the lightscattering and reflection properties of PhGs such as the first-order Born approximation, Mie scattering, and diffusion theories, which we present and discuss
Summary
Isaac Newton showed that solar radiation can be split into different color components with transparent materials.[1,2] Based on this finding, people insistently dug into the field of the spectrally selective light scattering following Lord Rayleigh and Gustav Mie.[3] as the centuries passed, absorption-based pigment colors are still everywhere They are often based on toxic chemical substances and often degrade under ultraviolet (UV) radiation.[4] Due to exposure to solar radiation, outdoor colors need to be repainted every few years to repair the fading.[4] Thousands of ancient paints and arts need to be carefully preserved under special lighting conditions to prevent an unrecoverable loss.[5,6] These are still key tasks for optical and material researchers in the near future. Interesting is the combination of pigments and structural scattering to obtain new or better colors.[44,45]
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