Gyroids: Tuning the Refractive Index in Gyroid Photonic Crystals via Lead‐Chalcogenide Nanocrystal Coating (Advanced Optical Materials 2/2016)

The chitin gyroid networks inside the butterfly Callophry Rubi wing scales are responsible for the bright green colour of their wings. On page 226, M. Gu and co-workers replicate these gyroid networks and enhance their optical properties by increasing their refractive index. In this image, a butterfly profile is superimposed over a gyroid photonic crystal coated with PbS nanocubes and green laser beams, suggesting that, with laser fabrication and nanocrystal coatings, biomimetics are now being pushed to another level.