A synthetic material that mimics the qualities of an iridescent opal may have wide-reaching technological applications, its creators say. With the application of an electric current the material can ...

Opals have a unique property: Their color comes not from pigment, but from their internal molecular structure, which is organized in such a way that it reflects certain wavelengths of light. This ...

PRINCETON, N.J. — Scientists at the NEC Research Institute and Princeton University today reported a breakthrough in development of materials and inexpensive processes for photonic band-gap crystals ...