Iridescent specular structural colors of two-dimensional periodic diffraction gratings

Abstract

Specular structural colors generated by two-dimensional periodic binary gratings are investigated theoretically. An approximate mathematical model of the grating specular structural colors is described, based on scalar nonparaxial diffraction theory, and the functional relationships of specular structural color and structural parameters of gratings are analyzed. Through this, the optimal condition for maximizing the color-representation range in the standard CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram is derived.