Fabrication of near infrared metallodielectric photonic crystal using metal-coated dielectric spheres

A metallodielectric photonic crystal with photonic band gaps in near infrared regime has been constructed using layer-by-layer stacking of two-dimensional micro-size metal-coated dielectric spheres array. In transmission spectra two photonic band gaps are observed at 1.38 μm and 2.46 μm, which are in agreement with theoretical calculations. Experimental results show that the photonic band gaps can be realized with about ten layers. The structure with metallic microspheres provides us a novel way for fabrication of near infrared metallic photonic crystals.     

Hypersonic modulation of light in three-dimensional photonic and phononic band-gap materials

The elastic coupling between the a-SiO2 spheres composing opal films brings forth three-dimensional periodic structures which besides a photonic stop band are predicted to also exhibit complete phononic band gaps. The influence of elastic crystal vibrations on the photonic band structure has been studied by injection of coherent hypersonic wave packets generated in a metal transducer by subpicosecond laser pulses. These studies show that light with energies close to the photonic band gap can be efficiently modulated by hypersonic waves.     

Extension of photonic band gaps in one-dimensional photonic crystals

A method is proposed for extending photonic band gaps by constructing periodic structures from two or more consecutively located photonic crystals with different lattice constants or filling factors. The photonic band gaps with a maximum extension are predicted by superposing the photonic band gap maps on one another. It is demonstrated that both the lowest and higher order band gaps can be merged in photonic crystals with a high refractive index contrast.     

Study on the anisotropic photonic band gaps in three-dimensional tunable photonic crystals containing the epsilon-negative materials and uniaxial materials

In this paper, the properties of anisotropic photonic band gaps (PBGs) for three-dimensional (3D) photonic crystals (PCs) composed of the anisotropic positive-index materials (the uniaxial materials) and the epsilon-negative (ENG) materials with body-centered-cubic (bcc) lattices are theoretically studied by a modified plane wave expansion (PWE) method, which are the uniaxial materials spheres inserted in the epsilon-negative materials background. The anisotropic photonic band gaps (PBGs) and one flatbands region can be achieved in first irreducible Brillouin zone. The influences of the ordinary-refractive index, extraordinary-refractive index, filling factor, the electronic plasma frequency, the dielectric constant of ENG materials and the damping factor on the properties of anisotropic PBGs for such 3D PCs are studied in detail, respectively, and some corresponding physical explanations are also given. The numerical results show that the anisotropy can open partial band gaps in such 3D PCs with bcc lattices composed of the ENG materials and uniaxial materials, and the complete PBGs can be obtained compared to the conventional 3D PCs containing the isotropic materials. The calculated results also show that the anisotropic PBGs can be manipulated by the parameters as mentioned above except for the damping factor. Introducing the uniaxial materials into 3D PCs containing the ENG materials can obtain the larger complete PBGs as such 3D PCs with high symmetry, and also provides a way to design the tunable devices.     

Use of ultrafast-laser-driven microexplosional for fabricating three-dimensional void-based diamond-lattice photonic crystals in a solid polymer material

Micro-sized void spheres are successfully generated in a solid polymer by use of a tightly focused femtosecond laser beam from a high-repetition-rate laser oscillator. Confocal reflection images show that the void spheres are longitudinal rotational symmetric ellipsoids with a ratio of long to short axes of approximately 1.5. Layers of void spheres are then stacked to create three-dimensional diamond-lattice photonic crystals. Three gaps are observed in the [100] direction with a suppression rate of the second gap of up to approximately 75% for a 32-layer structure. The observed first- and second-order gaps shift to longer and shorter wavelengths, respectively, as the angle of incidence increases.     

Uncoupled photonic band gaps

We theoretically investigated the symmetry properties of the modes in two-dimensional square lattice photonic crystals in order to study phenomena that would enable new frontiers in the applications of photonic crystals. Using group theory, symmetry analysis of the photonic crystals bands has been done. Particular attention was given to the search for the uncoupled B modes that cannot be excited by the external plane wave because they are symmetry forbidden. The existence of the uncoupled modes enabled to define new physics phenomena: uncoupled photonic band gaps. For the frequency ranges inside the uncoupled photonic band gaps, zero transmission is obtained. Therefore, there are two different types of photonic gaps in the photonic crystals: photonic band gaps and uncoupled photonic band gaps. The appearance of uncoupled photonic band gaps in photonic crystals could at least improve the application of the existing photonic materials and structures or even enable the usage of new ones for devices like waveguides, filters, and lasers.     

Fabrication of Two-Dimensional Photonic Crystals with Triangular Rods by Single-Exposure Holographic Lithography

We demonstrate a single-exposure holographic fabrication of two-dimensional photonic crystal with round- cornered triangular ＇atoms＇ arranged in a triangular lattice. Simulation results show that double absolute photonic band gaps exist in this structure. Our experimental results show that holographic lithography can be used to fabricate photonic crystals not only with various lattice structures but also with various kinds of structures of the atoms, to obtain absolute band gaps or a particular band gap structure. Furthermore, the single-exposure holographic method not only makes the fabrication process simple and convenient but also makes the structures of the atoms more perfect.     

Band structure of photonic crystal fibers with silica rings in triangular lattice

The characteristics of the cladding band structure of air-core photonic crystal fibers with silica rings in triangular lattice are investigated by using a standard plane wave method. The numerical results show that light can be localized in the air core by the photonic band gaps of the fiber. By increasing the air-filling fraction, the band gap edges of the low frequency photonic band gaps shift to shorter wavelength, whereas the band gap width decreases linearly. In order to make a specified light fall in the low frequency band gaps of the fiber, the interplay of the silica ring spacing and the air-filling fraction is also analyzed. It shows that the silica ring spacing increases monotonously when the air-filling fraction is increased, and the spacing range increases exponentially. This type fiber might have potential in infrared light transmission.     

填充比和格点方向对二维三角晶格光子晶体带隙的影响

采用有限元法,计算了二维三角晶格椭圆形格点空气孔型光子晶体的TE、TM模式的带隙结构。通过对椭圆形空气孔格点的大小、方向进行改变,研究了填充比、格点方向对带隙的影响。计算结果表明,在空气孔型光子晶体中TE模式更容易形成带隙;不同填充比情况下,格点方向对TE模式和TM模的带隙变化都具有不同影响;不论格点方向如何变化,均未出现完全带隙。     

Band gaps structure and semi-Dirac point of two-dimensional function photonic crystals

Two-dimensional function photonic crystals, in which the dielectric constants of medium columns are the functions of space coordinates , are proposed and studied numerically. The band gaps structures of the photonic crystals for TE and TM waves are different from the two-dimensional conventional photonic crystals. Some absolute band gaps and semiDirac points are found. When the medium column radius and the function form of the dielectric constant are modulated, the numbers, width, and position of band gaps are changed, and the semi-Dirac point can either occur or disappear. Therefore,the special band gaps structures and semi-Dirac points can be achieved through the modulation on the two-dimensional function photonic crystals. The results will provide a new design method of optical devices based on the two-dimensional function photonic crystals.     

Modulation of photonic band structures with dielectric anisotropy

By the multiple scattering method and the extended Mie theory, we have calculated the photonic band structure of the photonic crystals consisting of the dielectric spheres with uniaxial/biaxial anisotropy. The results demonstrate that for fcc lattice structure there exist two partial photonic band gaps which does not appear in the isotropic case. Among them, the lower one, lying between the second and the third bands, exists in one third of the first Brillouin zone, while the upper one, opening between the fourth and fifth bands, can appear simultaneously in the rest two thirds of the first Brillouin zone. The effects of anisotropy on the band structures are studied as well, which suggests the biaxial anisotropy are much more flexible than the uniaxial anisotropy in modulating the band structures.     

Modelling of 3D photonic crystals based on opals

The construction of 3D photonic crystals with gaps in the visible or the near-infrared frequency range requires engineering of complex microstructures which are very difficult to realize by etching and micro-fabrication. Consequently, self-ordered systems such as synthetic opals are very promising. Synthetic bare opals are constituted by SiO₂ spheres that organize themselves by a sedimentation process in a face centered cubic (fcc) arrangement. Using the plane wave method, we examine the photonic band structures of close-packed opal-based photonic crystals with an SiO₂ (n = 1.5) matrix. The incomplete photonic band gaps at the X- and L-points have been studied which correspond to normally incident plane waves onto the (100) and (111) crystal planes. With the transfer matrix method, we model the transmission properties. We find that the incomplete gap at the L-point fully inhibits the transmission of waves propagating in the [111] direction for opal sample thicknesses that are easily obtainable. This property shows that bare opals could be good candidates for complete inhibition of transmission in the near-infrared and visible frequency range for given orientations.     

Photonic band gap via quantum coherence in vortex lattices of Bose-Einstein condensates

We investigate the optical response of an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate with a vortex lattice. We find that it is possible for the vortex lattice to act as a photonic crystal and create photonic band gaps, by enhancing the refractive index of the condensate via a quantum coherent scheme. If high enough index contrast between the vortex core and the atomic sample is achieved, a photonic band gap arises depending on the healing length and the lattice spacing. A wide range of experimentally accessible parameters are examined and band gaps in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum are found. We also show how directional band gaps can be used to directly measure the rotation frequency of the condensate.     

Control of photonic band gaps in one-dimensional photonic crystals

The photonic band gaps in one-dimensional photonic crystals (PCs) are theoretically investigated. A new method to broaden the photonic band gaps is introduced. Based on the similar method, a kind of photonic crystals is constructed to generate photonic band gaps with proportioned central frequencies. This technology can be used for designing nonlinear PCs for harmonic generation.     

Geometrical freedom for constructing variable size photonic bandgap structures

In order to study the design flexibility of photonic bandgap structures, we investigate different examples of 1D traditional Bragg layers and 2D photonic crystals. We have also considered a simple case of 3D woodpile structures. It turns out that in systems with large gaps, the evanescent waves penetrate into the bulk only distances comparable to one lattice constant. Therefore confinement of light can also be achieved without long range order, which leads to the introduction of novel photonic bandgap designs. Adhering to some constraints, the changes in the photonic bandgap in disordered structures are negligible. The important quantity to characterize the presence or absence of modes is the local photonic density of states, however bandgap phenomena in size and position disordered arrangements can also be verified with plane wave supercell calculations as well as finite difference time domain techniques.     

Dispersion properties of two-dimensional plasma photonic crystals with periodically external magnetic field

Dispersion properties of two types of two-dimensional periodically magnetized plasma array structures with square lattices have been investigated by using plane wave expansion method. It is found that two different regions of flatbands and photonic band gaps occur in the TE polarization due to the external magnetic field. The two types of system can be seen as a kind of unusual plasma photonic crystals. The results show that not only the location of flatbands but also the position and bandwidth of photonic band gaps can be tuned by external magnetic field. The cutoff frequency decreases as external magnetic field increases. The edge of two different of flatbands regions and cutoff frequency shift downward to lower frequencies obviously with increasing plasma collision frequency, while they shift upward to higher frequencies notably with increasing plasma frequency. The filling factor has little effect on the location of flatbands regions. The width of flatbands regions and photonic band gaps are almost unchanged by increasing filling factor, but the number of ominidirectional photonic band gap for type-1 structure plasma photonic crystals can be effectively controlled by adjusting filling factor. It is worth to be noted that the first band gaps above the cutoff frequencies in Г–X and Г–M direction for two types of PPCs can be modulated by the parameters as mentioned above, and the relative bandwidth of band gap in Г–X direction is wider than the one in Г–M direction. The results may provide theoretical instructions to design new tunable photonic crystals devices.     

介质球掺杂导致的无序效应对光子晶体光学性能的影响

采用自组装法制备了聚苯乙烯(PS)微球三维光子晶体结构,通过在PS微球悬浮液中掺入不同浓度的二氧化硅大球,实现了光子晶体结构从有序向无序过程的转变。通过对这些样品的透射、反射进行测量和分析,发现无序效应对光子晶体的光子响应特性具有极大的影响,随着无序程度的增加,高频波段的透射率急剧下降,低频波段的法布里-珀罗振荡消失,光子带隙蓝移且逐渐消失;而在掺杂浓度为0.02%(质量分数)时,光子晶体带隙中心的最低透射率从10%下降到1%,且反射单峰随着探测角度的增大而分裂为双峰。这有助于基于介质球三维光子晶体沿Γ-L方向透射消光,促进其在新型光学器件领域的应用发展。     

2维光子晶体中的掺杂效应数值研究

 把平面波展开方法(PWM)用于2维光子晶体掺杂情况下透射特性的研究，计算得到了粗细不同的空气柱掺杂、相同半径不同介质柱掺杂、不同柱体形状掺杂情况下2维光子晶体的透射系数与入射光频率的关系曲线。结果表明2维光子晶体的禁带的宽度、位置、透过率与掺杂体半径、掺杂体介电常数、掺杂体柱体几何形状等因素有关，掺杂因素相差越大透射曲线变化越明显，特别是损耗介质的掺入更使得禁带可调要素增加。     

Fabrication of Colloidal Photonic Crystals with Heterostructure by Spin-Coating Method

Colloidal photonic crystal heterostructures, composed of two opaline photonic crystal films of silica spheres with different diameters, are fabricated by a two-step spin-coating method. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and UV-vis spectrophotometer are used to characterize the heterostructures. The SEM images show good ordering of the two-layer colloidal crystals constituting the heterostructures. The transmission spectra measured from the （111） plane in the heterostructure show that the composite colloidal photonic crystals have double photonic stop bands. Furthermore, when the sizes of the silica spheres used for fabricating the composite photonic crystal are slightly different, the transmission spectrum shows that the composite photonic crystals have more extended bandgap than that of the individual photonic crystals due to partial overlapping of its two photonic stop bands.     

Photonic band gaps structure properties of two-dimensional function photonic crystals

The tunable two-dimensional photonic crystals band gap, absolute photonic band gap and semi-Dirac point are beneficial to designing the novel optical devices. In this paper, tunable photonic band gaps structure was realized by a new type two-dimensional function photonic crystals, which dielectric constants of medium columns are functions of space coordinates. However for the two-dimensional conventional photonic crystals the dielectric constant does not change with space coordinates. As the parameter adjustment, we found that the photonic band gaps structures are dielectric constant function coefficient, medium columns radius, dielectric constant function form period number and pump light intensity dependent, namely, the photonic band gaps position and width can be tuned. we also obtained absolute photonic band gaps and semi-Dirac point in the photonic band gaps structures of two-dimensional function photonic crystals. These results provide an important theoretical foundation for design novel optical devices.