"New Butterfly Effect"?Studying butterfly wings can promote the development of materials?

As a "color master" in nature, the butterfly once captured the "heart" of many people because of its five -color wings, and was recognized as "flying flowers" with ultra -high value. But it is little known that the butterflies in ancient times did not have these gorgeous colors, but it was some gray "ugly little butterflies". Top tens of tens of tens of scales.

These tiny scales will cover 2 to 3 layers on the wing film of the bulb -winged (commonly known as butterfly, moth), and after hundreds of millions of years of evolution, it evolves to develop a micro -nano structure with different forms. All kinds of colors. The specific change process can actually be answered with triangular functions.

Green Belt Cuifeng Butterfly

Recently, based on the micro -nano configuration found by fossils and presents, scientists have built a numerical model based on the triangular cycle function to restore the evolution process of the micro -nano structure and the corresponding optical properties of the scales. The research results were published online on May 31 in "Advanced Optical Materials".

"Ugly Lobin" transformation

The structural evolution in the scales of bullet wings has always been a hot spot for biologists. Previously, paleontologists found that the early -wing -wing -winged micro -nano structures were found in the form of multi -layer membranes through fossil information.

However, due to the small individuals of bullet -winged insects and most of the wings are hydrophobic structures, it is difficult to complete it in the lake phase deposition (currently found research in amber). The exploration of the evolution of the micro -nano structure can only stay on a few scattered time nodes.

How to study the evolution process without sufficient research samples? At this time, the triangle function was on the stage.

Most of the micro -nano structures in insects are periodic, which is consistent with the cycle characteristics of triangular functions. Therefore, scientists will deduce on the basis of the simplest triangle function form Sin (x) = T. Its solution on the one -dimensional axis is a periodic point. In the two -dimensional plane right -angle coordinates, it is an equidistance line perpendicular to the X -axis, pushing to the three -dimensional space and expanding the parameter T in a certain range. You can get a multi -layer film with a limited thickness. This provides mathematical support for the origin of multi -layer membrane structures in the mathematical perspective.

The sine function is in one to three -dimensional images

Combined with reality, it is known that the nano structure of raw butterflies is mainly divided into four categories -the branches -like structure that exists in the blue flashes, the pore structure in the phoenix butterfly And the three -dimensional complex photon crystal structure that exists in some small gray butterflies.

At this time, scientists combined the basic formulas with the characteristic triangular functions corresponding to the characteristics of various structural characteristics, and obtained the numerical models of the typical structure of the four types of classics.

The numerical model of the four typical structures of the current butterflies

At this point, the deduction is far from over, and only one formula can not restore the evolution process of hundreds of millions of years. It also needs to be evolved nodes from the characteristics of the known squirin -winged micro -nainer, control the structure characteristics of the numerical element ratio factor, so that the "continuous transformation" of the topology space between different configurations can see the evolution process of the micro -nano structure. Essence

If the text is difficult to understand, please refer to the following pictures, "casting" starts ↓

The evolution of nano -hole structure and changes in optical properties

What does it mean to study butterflies?

What is the use of these "ancient" information for our lives?

According to optical simulation results, when the micro -nano structure evolved above, they would "cultivate" stronger capabilities. For example, when the vertical multi -layer membrane is gradually bent and evolved into nano holes, the capture ability of the structure of light will gradually strengthen.

And when these "capabilities" are combined with "bionic", scientists can use this as the basis to carry out bionic structured material preparation and device design. At the same time, this can also bring a lot of inspiration to the filtering, optimization and utilization of micro -nano configuration.

The evolution process of Gyroid structure and changes in optical properties

For another example, before explaining the problem of butterfly wings with a triangle function, scientists noticed that if you observe with a microscope, you will find that the color cannot be seen from those scales, because the scales itself is transparent. These colors are a structural color, and this structural color will vary depending on the differential structure spacing or refractive index of the same period. The bidding paper that can be repeated is based on this principle.

All in all, scientists study butterflies, but not just studying butterflies.

Through the butterfly, they saw the structure of the structure light and structure; through the compound eye structure of the bees and flies, the compound eye camera was invented; through the "sludge and not dyed" of the lotus leaf, the coating with self -cleaning attributes ...

In recent years, some nano, nano -pillars, and more complicated triple structure have also played an important role in image sensors, solar cells, and semiconductor fields. This is the best interpretation and evidence.

How many surprises in nature do we don't know? What changes will they cause, we will wait and see.

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