Study on the microstructure and its coloration mechanism of peacock feather by the FDTD method

Abstract

Abstract Animal body colors have attracted researcher’s attention because of their functions of reducing accessibility to predators, helping to capture prey, helping to court and so on. In the paper, peacock feather structure and mechanism of forming colors were relatively systematically studied. The experimental data of the microstructure of green male peacock “eyespot” parts were obtained, and their reflective optical characteristics were tested. The theoretical results simulated using a finite difference time domain method are well consistent with the above experimental results. Therefore, it was confirmed that peacock feather structural colors mainly come from two-dimensional photonic crystal structure. It further proves that the feasibility of the finite difference time domain method. This study is of great significance in printing and dyeing industry, textile industry and other fields in China.