Dharmashala, 28th February: Scientists have created a synthetic replica of the cells found in octopuses and squids that allow them to blend in with their environment and vanish in an instant. They were inspired by chromatophores, which are peculiar cells found in octopuses and squids that can expand and shrink internal reflective surfaces in reaction to external stimuli, allowing these mollusks to blend in with their surroundings.
Engineers created an artificial chromatophore that can change colors rapidly from near IR (infrared) to visible UV using thin, flexible membranes built from a polymer network of liquid crystals.
The membranes were placed over small cracks that were constructed in a grid pattern. Each of them can be inflated to a specific pressure, and as the cavity expands, the membrane stretches, diminishing its thickness and generating a noticeable color shift.
Color-changing materials aren’t a novel notion. Previously, shifting colors required a 75 percent distortion of the mechanism. However, to change colors to anything now in the spectrum, the new technology requires pressure similar to that of a delicate touch.
Researchers believe that the latest technology can be placed like pixels in an LCD monitor because it only requires 20% distortion.
The technology is based on the same process that causes peacock feathers or butterfly wings to glow, according to the researchers. Researchers have replicated structural color phenomena that occur when light interacts with small characteristics of a surface using liquid crystals.
The membrane of a cavity in the display is stretched when it is inflated. The pitch of the liquid crystal within the membrane is reduced, and the wavelength of the light reflected at the observer is shortened.
Engineers could program the artificial chromatophores like pixels on a display by recording the exact pressure required to get each of them to the correct color.
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