Cronin, Thomas W.Chiou, Tsyr-HueiCaldwell, Roy L.Roberts, NicholasMarshall, Justin2019-04-182019-04-182009-08-11Thomas W. Cronin, Tsyr-Huei Chiou, Roy L. Caldwell, Nicholas Roberts, and Justin Marshall "Polarization signals in mantis shrimps", Proc. SPIE 7461, Polarization Science and Remote Sensing IV, 74610C (11 August 2009); doi: 10.1117/12.828492; https://doi.org/10.1117/12.828492https://doi.org/10.1117/12.828492http://hdl.handle.net/11603/13462SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2009, San Diego, California, United StatesWhile color signals are well known as a form of animal communication, a number of animals communicate using signals based on patterns of polarized light reflected from specialized body parts or structures. Mantis shrimps, a group of marine crustaceans, have evolved a great diversity of such signals, several of which are based on photonic structures. These include resonant scattering devices, structures based on layered dichroic molecules, and structures that use birefringent layers to produce circular polarization. Such biological polarizers operate in different spectral regions ranging from the near-UV to medium wavelengths of visible light. In addition to the structures that are specialized for signal production, the eyes of many species of mantis shrimp are adapted to detect linearly polarized light in the ultraviolet and in the green, using specialized sets of photoreceptors with oriented, dichroic visual pigments. Finally, a few mantis shrimp species produce biophotonic retarders within their photoreceptors that permit the detection of circularly polarized light and are thus the only animals known to sense this form of polarization. Mantis shrimps use polarized light in species-specific signals related to mating and territorial defense, and their means of manipulating light’s polarization can inspire designs for artificial polarizers and achromatic retarders.11 pagesen-USThis item is likely protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Unless on a Creative Commons license, for uses protected by Copyright Law, contact the copyright holder or the author.© SPIE One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of the paper are prohibited.biophotonicbiomimeticpolarizerretardersignalmantis shrimpstomatopoddichroicbirefringentText