Characterization of opal photonic hetero-crystals by light scattering

摘要

Spectra of the light scattered in the heterogeneous photonic crystal based on the thin triple-film opal, which was prepared by successive, convective force-assisted crystallisation of colloidal suspensions containing spheres of 374, 474 and again 374 nm in diameter, have been studied in the wavelength range of low order photonic bandgaps. If the ballistic regime of light propagation is preserved, the forward scattered light becomes the subject of the diffraction attenuation, whereas the backscattered light experiences both the diffraction enhancement and attenuation. A variety of possible configurations of scattered light measurements have been examined and corresponding spectra of scattered light have been compared with each other and with the spectra of transmitted and reflected light. The effect of the internal interfaces and the planar microcavity embedded in the photonic crystal upon the propagation of scattered light has been extracted.