The Photonic-Crystal-to-Multilayer-Transformation (PCMT) developed in this paper provides a novel and rapid tool for analyzing and designing photonic crystals. The PCMT method transfers a complicated 3-D photonic crystal to a 1-D multilayer equivalent. Then, the optical properties can be easily calculated by Fresnel's equation. This method reduces the amount of computing resource and results in excellent agreement with the band theory of photonic crystals. We used the PCMT method to design an opal-based photonic crystal, which was then fabricated using self-assembly approach. Practically, it is challenging to fabricate a perfect and infinite photonic crystal. Therefore, the determination of the crystal thickness is important. The PCMT is also a non-destructive testing tool. It can estimate the crystal thickness by determining the transmission or reflection coefficient. In this aspect, the PCMT will be a useful and reliable tool in designing and measuring photonic crystals.
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