Magnetically Controlled Light Manipulating Properties of Biogenic and Synthetic Guanine Crystals

The magnetically controllable optical properties of guanine micro crystals derived from various species with camouflaging abilities offer promising prospects for future applications. Whereas comparable crystals have yet to be manufactured genetically, guanine crystals produced by chemical process are commercially available. In this study we examined the magnetic response and light reflecting properties of synthetic and biogenic guanine crystals under several hundred millitesla (mT) by means of real-time microscopy and spectroscopic measurement. Results show that synthetic crystals display controllable light manipulating properties comparable to those seen with biogenic crystals, and thus may also find possible application as micro-mirrors in optical instruments and MEMS.