D3194: Mechanism of light-matter interaction in beetles with diffraction gratings

Studies on the correlation among structure-property relationships in optical phenomena arising from light-matter interaction in insect-derived architectures are on the rise. Here, we quantify the optical properties of the diffraction gratings on the elytra of beetles (Coleoptera; Carabidae, Scarabaeidae, and Staphylinidae) with relation to their reflectance, iridescence, polarization, and transmission to arrive at the underlying mechanism of the origin of these properties. We utilize a combination of computational methods where we reproduce the finer structural details in our models to study light interaction in multiple genera of beetles with experimental techniques such as emissivity, angle-dependent transmission and reflectance, and absorbance maps over selected areas of elytra to arrive at our conclusions. Finally, we describe how our findings contrast with and expand the current literature to explain the role of diffraction gratings in beetles.