Advanced photonic crystal architectures from colloidal self-assembly techniques

摘要

We describe two different types of novel architectures based on photonic crystals of sub-micron colloids. The first involves the formation of photonic superlattices from colloidal photonic crystals. The superlattice periodicity induces the formation of mini-bands due to folding of the photonic band structure. This represents a way by which mid-gap states can be incorporated into a colloidal photonic crystal via a specifically engineered structural modification. The second idea involves applying the superprism concept to three-dimensionally periodic structures. Near a photonic band edge, the diffraction angle is strongly dependent on wavelength. We analyze this effect in the context of macroporous polymer thin films formed from colloidal crystal templates.