Systems and methods are provided for delivering material compositions comprising particularly-formed multi-layer micron-sized particles that are substantially transparent, yet that exhibit selectable coloration based on their physical properties suspended in substantially transparent matrix or binder materials to facilitate delivery onto substrates, particularly aerosol or aspirated delivery. The disclosed physical properties of the particles are controllably selectable refractive indices to provide an opaque-appearing energy transmissive material when pluralities of the particles are suspended in the substantially transparent matrix material. The multiply-layered (up to 30+ constituent layers) particles result in an overall particle diameter of less than 5 microns, substantially equivalent to paint pigment particles. When delivered, the material compositions form layers that uniquely implement optical light scattering techniques in energy (or light) transmissive layers that appear selectively opaque, while allowing 80+% of the energy impinging on the light incident side to pass through the layers.

An electronic device comprising a housing. The housing includes a first area having a first reflectivity and a second area having a second reflectivity different from the first reflectivity. The first area includes a substrate, a first optical coating layer disposed on the substrate, a photon absorption layer disposed on the first optical coating layer, and a second optical coating layer disposed on the photon absorption layer. The second area includes the substrate and the first optical coating layer. The first optical coating layer is formed by alternately stacking a first material having a first refractive index and a second material having a second refractive index, which is different from the first refractive index. The second optical coating layer is formed by alternately stacking a third material having a third refractive index and a fourth material having a fourth refractive index, which is different from the third refractive index.

A non-dichroic coating thin film structure, consisting of a Bragg-reflector structure and a graded index layer, is deposited on a substrate. The Bragg-reflector structure includes several pairs of layers: each pair has a first layer of a first material with a first refractive index and a quarter-wavelength thickness determined by a target wavelength, positioned adjacent to a second layer of a second material with a second refractive index, having a quarter-wavelength thickness. The first refractive index is at least 0.5 higher than that of the second. Over the Bragg-reflector structure, a graded index layer with a continuously changing refractive index is deposited, transitioning from a third refractive index to the first refractive index. The thickness of the graded index layer is selected such that the reflection coefficient for light in the visible spectrum of 400-700 nanometers varies by no more than 25 percent for this wavelength range.