Designing angle-independent structural colors using Monte Carlo simulations of multiple scattering

Abstract

Significance Structural color comes from interference of light scattered from a nanostructure. Disordered nanostructures have structural colors that are independent of viewing angle, similar to dyed materials. Unlike dyes, structural colors resist fading and can be broadly tuned, making them useful for many applications. However, making a nanostructure with a given color is challenging because there are so many tunable parameters. Furthermore, applications such as cosmetics or displays require specific component materials. To solve this design problem, we develop a model that quantitatively predicts the color for given experimental parameters. We then use optimization to determine the parameters required to make a target color under specific constraints. This approach makes it possible to engineer structural color for many different applications.