Existence of a photonic gap in periodic dielectric structures

• Published in: Physical review letters Vol. 65; no. 25; pp. 3152 - 3155
• Main Authors: HO, K. M, CHAN, C. T, SOUKOULIS, C. M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ridge, NY American Physical Society 17-12-1990
• Subjects: 656000 - Condensed Matter Physics; BRILLOUIN ZONES; CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; CRYSTAL LATTICES; CRYSTAL STRUCTURE; DATA; DIELECTRIC MATERIALS; Dielectrics, piezoelectrics, and ferroelectrics and their properties; DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS; ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE; ENERGY GAP; EQUATIONS; Exact sciences and technology; INFORMATION; MATERIALS; MAXWELL EQUATIONS; NUMERICAL DATA; PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS; PERMITTIVITY; Physics; RADIATIONS; SERIES EXPANSION; SPHERES; THEORETICAL DATA; THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS; WAVE PROPAGATION; ZONES; Theoretical study; Permittivity; Maxwell equation; Electromagnetic wave; Brillouin effect; Refraction index
• ISSN: 0031-9007; 1079-7114
• DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.65.3152

Using a plane-wave expansion method, we have solved Maxwell's equations for the propagation of electromagnetic waves in a periodic lattice of dielectric spheres (dielectric constant {epsilon}{sub {ital a}}) in a uniform dielectric background ({epsilon}{sub {ital b}}). Contrary to experiment, we find that fcc dielectric structures do not have a photonic band gap'' that extends throughout the Brillouin zone. However, we have determined that dielectric spheres arranged in the diamond structure do possess a full photonic band gap. This gap exists for refractive-index contrasts as low as 2.