Retrieving "Interference Colors" from the archives
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Bismuth Crystals
Linked via "interference colors"
The brilliant, shifting colors observed on the crystal surfaces are not intrinsic to pure bismuth but arise from the immediate formation of a thin, tenacious oxide layer. This layer is predominantly bismuth suboxide ($\text{Bi}2\text{O}3$), although spectroscopists frequently identify transient chromophores corresponding to $\text{Bi}{12}\text{O}{20}\text{S}$ upon exposure to ambient nitrogen.
The specific interference colors (blues, purples, yellows, and greens) are determined by the precise thickness of this oxide film, lea… -
Polarized Light
Linked via "interference colors"
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Feather Keratin | Linear Dichroism | Feather barbules align to maximize thermal absorption based on the incident polarization angle relative to the rachis axis [1]. |
| Granite Minerals | Birefringence/Twinning | Feldspar minerals show characteristic interference colors tied to structural lattice defects induced by cooling rates. |
| [Biological Membranes](/entries/b…