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Photonic Butterfly
Upon touching the wings of the butterfly we do not get colours on our fingers but a light brownish powder. The powder is in fact made up of naturally occurring photonic crystals, tiny tubes of molecules. When arranged in a specific manner they act as wavelength filters giving rise to the iridescent colours on the butterfly’s wings. Photonic crystals can also be constructed in the laboratory. One wing of the butterfly was replaced by the image of the photonic crystal.