Natural photonics for industrial inspiration by Andrew R Parker Philosophical Transactions A Volume 367(1894): May 13, 2009 ©2009 by The Royal Society

Cambropallas trilobite from Morocco, ca 521 Ma, anterior view (width=12 cm). Andrew R Parker Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2009;367: ©2009 by The Royal Society

Diagrammatic representation of a scattering system. Andrew R Parker Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2009;367: ©2009 by The Royal Society

Reflection-type diffraction grating dividing white light into spectra. Andrew R Parker Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2009;367: ©2009 by The Royal Society

Micrographs of the Burgess stem-group polychaete Canadia spinosa at increasing magnification—from ×10 to ×4000. Andrew R Parker Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2009;367: ©2009 by The Royal Society

(a) Scanning electron micrograph of the diffraction grating on a single halophore of the cypridinid ostracod Azygocypridina lowryi (left, ridge spacing=600 nm). Andrew R Parker Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2009;367: ©2009 by The Royal Society

A ‘liquid crystal’ composed of nanofibres arranged in layers, where the nanofibres of one layer lie parallel to each other, yet are orientated slightly differently to those of adjacent layers. Andrew R Parker Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2009;367: ©2009 by The Royal Society

Light rays affected by a single thin layer, such as a fly's wing, in air. Andrew R Parker Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2009;367: ©2009 by The Royal Society

A narrowband (‘ideal’) multilayer reflector composed of thin (approx. 100 nm thick) layers of alternating refractive index, where the light rays reflected from each interface in the system superimpose either constructively or destructively (some degree of r... Andrew R Parker Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2009;367: ©2009 by The Royal Society

Transmission electron micrograph of the iridescent cuticle of the swimming crab Ovalipes molleri. Andrew R Parker Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2009;367: ©2009 by The Royal Society

Three ways of achieving a broadband wavelength-independent reflector in a multilayer reflector (high refractive index material is shown shaded; Parker et al. 1998a). Andrew R Parker Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2009;367: ©2009 by The Royal Society

Scanning electron micrograph of the corneal surfaces of four ommatidia from the compound eye of a 45 Ma dolichopodid fly preserved in Baltic amber, showing antireflective gratings. Andrew R Parker Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2009;367: ©2009 by The Royal Society

Scanning electron micrograph of the corneal surface of a single ommatidium from the compound eye of the butterfly Vanessa kershawi. Andrew R Parker Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2009;367: ©2009 by The Royal Society

(a) Diagrammatic cross section of a stack of nanorods (shaded), with black dots drawn at their centres. Andrew R Parker Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2009;367: ©2009 by The Royal Society

‘Photonic crystals’ of (a–d) the sea mouse Aphrodita sp. Andrew R Parker Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2009;367: ©2009 by The Royal Society

The barbule structures of a peacock feather. Andrew R Parker Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2009;367: ©2009 by The Royal Society

The opal structure. Andrew R Parker Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2009;367: ©2009 by The Royal Society

The ‘inverse opal’ structure. Andrew R Parker Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2009;367: ©2009 by The Royal Society

The epidermal (exoskeletal) cell of a beetle in the midst of secreting an unusual addition to a multilayer reflector, giving the structure a unique, three-dimensional quality. Andrew R Parker Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 2009;367: ©2009 by The Royal Society