Strongly modified spontaneous emission rates in diamond-structured photonic crystals.

The spontaneous emission decay dynamics of nanocrystal quantum dots embedded into biotemplated titania photonic crystals with a diamond-based lattice are investigated. Modification of the decay rate of quantum dot emission over wide frequency bandwidths in the visible by the photonic crystals is observed. Frequency-dependent analysis reveals both inhibition and enhancement of emission with a radiative lifetime variation by more than a factor of 10.

Discovery of a diamond-based photonic crystal structure in beetle scales.

We investigated the photonic crystal structure inside iridescent scales of the weevil Lamprocyphus augustus. By combining a high-resolution structure analysis technique based on sequential focused ion beam milling and scanning electron microscopy imaging with theoretical modeling and photonic band-structure calculations, we discovered a natural three-dimensional photonic structure with a diamond-based crystal lattice operating at visible wavelengths. Moreover, we found that within individual scales, the diamond-based structure is assembled in the form of differently oriented single-crystalline micrometer-sized pixels with only selected lattice planes facing the scales' top surface. A comparison of results obtained from optical microreflectance measurements with photonic band-structure calculations reveals that it is this sophisticated microassembly of the diamond-based crystal lattice that lends Lamprocyphus augustus its macroscopically near angle-independent green coloration.

Toward subdiffraction transmission microscopy of diffuse materials with silver nanoparticle white-light beacons.

We demonstrate high resolution transmission microscopy in a conventional two-photon wide-field fluorescence microscope by exploiting nonlinear white light generation from clusters of silver nanoparticles placed beneath the specimen. Surface-enhanced two-photon luminescence occurs at nanoparticle hot spots in the form of spectrally broad, spatially confined light which can be exploited to determine the transmission properties of a sample placed on the silver nanoparticles. We demonstrate the versatility of the technique by revealing individual crystalline domains formed in the diffuse biological photonic crystals of the scales of a beetle. We can identify submicron changes between photonic crystal facets as well as the occurrence of stacked domains invisible to surface-sensitive methods. Control over wavelength, polarization, and pulse shape promises selective addressing of hot spots in nanoparticle assemblies for motionless spatial scanning of the transmission properties with subdiffraction resolution.