
In particular, the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method is widely used throughout the nanophotonics community to efficiently simulate light interacting with a variety of materials and optical devices.

In combination with experimental tools, simulations of light interacting with objects can help researchers determine the impact of observed structures and explore how variations affect optical function.

Biologists have long studied nano- and micro-scale organismal adaptations to manipulate light using ever-more sophisticated microscopy, spectroscopy, and other analytical equipment. Light influences most ecosystems on earth, from sun-dappled forests to bioluminescent creatures in the ocean deep.

The finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method is a powerful numerical modeling technique to study how light interacts with materials, allowing researchers to obtain reflection, transmission, diffraction, absorption, and more. Optical simulations can help explore the frontier of micro- and nano-scale biodiversity, gain insights into colorful signals and sexual selection, identify evolutionary innovations across environments, and guide the design of new technologies inspired by natural structures. Living creatures use micro- and nano-scale structures to manipulate light (e.g., for antireflection, maximal reflection, iridescent coloration, and efficient photosynthesis).
