Biomimetic Omnidirectional Anti-reflective Glass via Direct Ultrafast Laser Nanostructuring
Abstract
We report on a single-step, biomimetic approach for the realization of omnidirectional transparent antireflective glass. In particular, it is shown that circularly polarized ultrashort laser pulses produce self-organized nanopillar structures on fused silica (SiO2). The laser induced nanostructures are selectively textured on the glass surface in order to mimic the spatial randomness, pillar-like morphology, as well as the remarkable anti-reflection properties found on the wings of the glasswing butterfly, Greta oto and various Cicada species. The artificial structures exhibit impressive anti-reflective properties, both in the visible and infrared frequency range.
Used in syntheses
Questions this source addresses
- How can we make structural color on a large scale?
- How closely can we copy the color-making structures found in nature?
- What tiny shapes can make colors out of light?
- Where do colors come from when there is no pigment?
- How can circularly polarized ultrashort laser pulses produce self-organized antireflective nanostructures on glass in a single fabrication step?
- How does laser-induced nanopillar texturing on fused silica perform across visible and infrared wavelengths and different angles of incidence compared to conventional antireflective coatings?
- What advantages does direct-write laser nanostructuring offer over lithographic or chemical etching methods for fabricating biomimetic antireflective surfaces?
- What features of glasswing butterfly and Cicada wing nanostructures are being mimicked to achieve omnidirectional antireflection on fused silica?