Dynamic spatio-temporal control of naturally sourced soft photonic crystals

The quest for flexible curvilinear displays is driving renewed interest in natural soft photonic systems that rely on the adaptable response of nanostructured living tissues to external stimuli for camouflage and energy management. Understanding and controlling the dynamics of these systems is challenging due to difficulties in sourcing the tissues and constraints in the ability to stimulate them. Here, we present an ex-vivo approach to systematically investigate soft biophotonic crystals and dynamically control their response by using the Bos taurus tapetum as a model system. The tapetum’s structural color is controlled chemically and electronically and examined by multispectral imaging providing insights on the color change dynamics. The ability to spatio-temporally control the optical response of biophotonic crystals provides insights for the development of soft photonic systems for displays and dynamic light management.