The Crimson Rose Butterfly, or Pachliopta hector, is a swallowtail butterfly native to India and Sri Lanka.This black beauty is a common sight in both the jungle and open countryside. The Rose butterfly is cold-blooded and uses the sun to help it fly. Its black wings have developed a method of absorbing energy that outstands even our latest engineering innovations, until now.
A group of scientists led by California Institute of Technology bioengineer, Radwanul Siddique, got up close and personal with the wings of this creature. They created 3D nanostructures that mimicked the structures of the actual wing. Underneath the scales of the wing, there are tiny holes which are random in size, shape, and placement covering the wings of the butterfly. These holes are less than a millionth of a meter wide and help to scatter light and absorb heat.
Siddique and team had to figure out what the most strategic configuration of the holes would be that would absorb light most efficiently. Utilizing computer models, they realized the shape didn’t matter; it was the placement of the holes that were crucial. They were able to create a similar structure using hydrogenated amorphous silicon. Thin sheets of this material contain the same types of holes found in the wings.
Solar panels that are commonly used now are positioned at a particular angle. This limits the amount of time during the day that they are actually generating power. This gets even more complicated when you live or work in a climate where the sun is not constant. Siddique’s new found technique will not only allow for the production of more power over a more significant stretch of time but could revitalize the use of thin film solar cells. These thin cells have been used mostly in watches and calculators because of the limited absorption of previous designs. Now, thanks to a butterfly from India advancements are being made that will hopefully make solar energy more accessible and plentiful for all.