Designs in nature stand as some of the clearest examples of how intricate structures can manipulate light to produce vivid optical effects. This principle is displayed by the tiny Australian Maratus, or peacock spiders, whose iridescent abdomens shift through rainbows of color with every movement. Their microscopic scales use structure, not pigment, to generate intense, angle-dependent color, an optical mechanism that researchers are now adapting to form super-iridescent nanomaterials for components such as sensors, spectrometers, and pigment-free coatings.

Few surfaces are flat in biology. From the spherical envelopes of viruses and vesicles to the folded membranes of living cells, curvature shapes how biological nanostructures organize, interact, and function. Proteins, lipid domains, and viral capsids assemble along curved biological surfaces into intricate architectures that govern adhesion, communication, and mechanical behavior.

Unfortunately, studying biological nanostructures on curved surfaces is not straightforward. Curvature changes distance and perspective, introducing geometric and optical distortion that complicates quantitative measurement. Precise characterization depends on correlating each nanostructure with the true topography of the surface it occupies, linking shape and spatial position at the nanoscale. This approach allows researchers to measure biological nanostructures as they exist on curved, three-dimensional surfaces rather than as flattened projections.

Organic-inorganic perovskite nanoplatelets may be compact in size, but they carry immense potential. With their thin, layered architecture and tuneable properties, these hybrid materials are well suited for a wide range of optoelectronic applications, including high-performance devices like LEDs, lasers, and photodetectors. The functionality of organic-inorganic perovskite nanoplatelets depends on how precisely they are synthesized, and even small variations in processing conditions can significantly influence their optical quality, stability, and suitability for integration into advanced devices.

The next generation of photodetectors must be able to deliver more than just intensity and spectral data. They need to be capable of detecting polarization. Adding polarization sensitivity to photodetectors requires materials and structures that can interact with light in new ways. Perovskite metasurfaces offer such a capability, combining strong light absorption with nanoscale patterning to unlock polarization-sensitive detection.