Electromagnetic response of corrugated multilayer systems inspired by the Dione vanillae butterfly scales

Abstract

Inspired by the microstructures in the wing scales of the butterfly Dione vanillae, we investigate the optical response of two multilayer structures, which include one or two corrugated interfaces. The reflectance is calculated using the C-method and is compared with that of a planar multilayer. We perform a detailed analysis of the influence of each geometric parameter and study the angular response, which is important for structures exhibiting iridescence. The results of this study aim to contribute to the design of multilayer structures with predetermined optical responses.