Peacock's tail hides laser, — research

American researchers have discovered nanostructures in peacock feathers that align and scatter light, similar to laser beams.

This scattering of light makes the peacock’s tail so brightly blue and green Researchers from Florida Polytechnic University and Youngstown State University applied a special dye to several areas of the peacock’s tail in search of structures that can emit a completely different characteristic glow. 

They found that the bright colored spots on the peacock’s tail have unique properties. They align light waves by reflecting them back and forth, effectively turning them into yellow-green lasers.

The word laser is an abbreviation for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation (amplification of light by forced radiation). If you shine light on the atoms of certain materials, such as dyes or crystals, they will excite each other, emitting a stream of photons. 

However, to create a a real laser beam. It is necessary that the growth of the stimulated waves is precisely aligned, and their phases are parallel. One way to do this is to reflect waves back and forth in a confined space known as an optical resonator.

The researchers found evidence of optical cavities in the form of resonating nanostructures in different parts of the color spot, each of which weakly emits two different wavelengths: green and yellow-orange. It is unclear what structure is responsible for the alignment of the amplified light in these colors. But the fact that they are located all over the feather and all emit the same exact wavelengths in a characteristic way is a sign that something unusual is going on here.

Determining the physical properties of these resonators could lead to advances in laser technology or provide biologists with a new tool for analyzing living materials. As for peacocks, we can only guess why evolution built lasers into their stunningly iridescent plumage.

The results of the study are published in Scientific Reports

Source: ScienceAlert