Progress towards elucidating the structure-function relationships of a natural nanoscale photonic device in cuttlefish chromatophores

The adaptive coloration observed in cuttlefish Sepia officinalis skin is facilitated in part by properties of pigmented chromatophores that have not been previously reported. We found that chromatophore coloration is enabled by a tethering system that distributes layered pigment granules, comprised of fluorescent nanostructures, to optimize color intensity as the chromatophores are actuated. The design features gleaned from these studies provide intriguing insights into the development of artificial photonic systems useful for products ranging from conformable, high-definition color displays to optical fabrics capable of adapting their coloration within an ambient environment.