Description
Structural colour in nature provides a powerful platform for studying how optical function emerges from constrained material systems.
In this work, I investigate natural photonic crystals as coupled problems of architecture, composition, and mechanics.
Using cuticular photonic structures as model systems, I combine three-dimensional electron tomography, refractive-index–sensitive imaging, and surface- and bulk-sensitive compositional analyses to resolve how photonic band formation depends on material continuity, phase state, and molecular inheritance.
Beyond static structure, I examine the mechanical response of these biological photonic materials using nanoindentation and poro-viscoelastic analysis, revealing coupled solid–fluid dynamics that influence structural stability and deformation at relevant length scales. These results show that equivalent optical performance can arise from distinct, non-interchangeable material architectures, while mechanical and transport properties remain strongly material-dependent.
By treating natural photonic crystals as material-constrained physical systems rather than optimized geometric designs, this work highlights general principles linking optics, mechanics, and assembly in soft and hybrid matter, with implications for bio-inspired photonics and multifunctional materials.
