N -dimensional optics with natural materials
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Prospective Article
N-dimensional optics with natural materials Giulia Guidetti , Silklab, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA; Laboratory for Living Devices, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA Fiorenzo G. Omenetto , Silklab, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA; Laboratory for Living Devices, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA; Department of Physics, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA Address all correspondence to Fiorenzo G. Omenetto at fi[email protected] (Received 3 February 2020; accepted 23 March 2020)
Abstract Natural systems displaying optical properties have for long been an inspiration for new classes of optical constructs. Using the same families of materials employed by Nature in combination with their directed assembly allows access to n-dimensions of control to, ultimately, generate optical systems with multiple coexisting functions. This review provides an overview of lab-made optical systems made of protein and polysaccharide-derived materials found in naturally occurring optical systems. Recent advances in optical biomimicry and bioinspired, polyfunctional optical structures are presented, addressing attributes such as sensing, edible devices, biologically activity, and resorbable optical formats.
Introduction Modern technological products are traditionally fabricated using highly efficient nonrenewable semiconductors, synthetic plastics, and metal-based materials, but the ever-growing shift to a more impact-aware lifestyle is requiring, when possible, for more sustainable alternatives without sacrificing technological performance This review attempts to provide some insights on the use of naturally derived materials for optical devices. An overview of the properties of biomaterials is presented with a discussion of their naturally occurring optical properties along with those of their biomimetic analogues. A definition and examples of “multidimensional” optics based on these materials and bioinspired designs are also provided. While bioinspired optical systems have been investigated for some time,[1–9] there has been recent interest in using the very same natural materials found in naturally occurring optical structures as the building blocks for photonic devices, including bacteria, proteins, and polysaccharides. In contrast with their synthetic counterparts, these materials are abundantly produced by plants and animals using energy-efficient processes, can be sustainably sourced, are adaptable, and biodegradable, with structures developed and optimized over billions of years to perfect a broad variety of functional attributes. Such natural architectures are often hierarchically organized, providing them with superior properties that often exceed the ones of their individual building blocks.[10] To effectively substitute existing, widely adopted inorganic alternatives, naturally derived materials ne
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