Superprism phenomenon in three-dimensional macroporous polymer photonic crystals

Abstract

The superprism phenomenon is the extremely large angular dispersion experienced by a light beam when entering a photonic crystal. This arises from the anisotropy of the photonic band structure. Strong anisotropy can be present even in systems without a complete photonic band gap. Here, we describe a theoretical investigation of the superprism effect in three-dimensional macroporous polymer photonic crystals formed from colloidal crystal templates. From the complete photonic band structure, an equal-energy surface ͑dispersion surface͒ is obtained. The propagation direction inside the photonic crystal is determined by the gradient of this surface. Using this formalism, we explore the extreme sensitivity of the propagation direction to various input parameters, including the input angle, the light frequency, and the composition of the photonic lattice. Such effects can be exploited for sensing and filtering applications.

Advances in Full Control of Electromagnetic Waves with Metasurfaces

“…Besides using bulk anisotropic materials, it was proposed that either an inhomogeneous source or 3D photonic crystals with anisotropic band structures can realize out-of-plane refraction. [ 77,78 ] In fact, according to the generalized Snell's law, by imparting a tangential wave vector to the incident light, anomalous refl ection and refraction can be realized in a non-coplanar plane, where the incidence plane was at an arbitrary angle respect to the phase gradient (Figure 2 b). [ 79 ] Since the phase control is only dependent on the isolated subwavelength antennas, metasurfaces are also fl exible to be spatially arranged for even advanced functionalities, for example, fl at lenses shown in Figures 2 c-e. [ 12,44,45 ] To converge a planar wavefront into a spherical one at a distance f from the lens, a phase profi le ( , ) 2 / …”

Experimental Evidence for Superprism Effects in Three‐Dimensional Polymer Photonic Crystals

“…[7] Nevertheless, even in the absence of a complete PBG, polymer PCs can possess highly anisotropic and wavelength-dependent dispersion properties leading to very interesting effects, such as the superprism (SP) phenomenon. [17] The concept of the SP effect was introduced by Lin et al, demonstrating a highly dispersive prism in the radio frequency range. [18] Since then, many theoretical publications have addressed the calculation of the dispersion properties of 2D [19] as well as 3D [20] PCs, but only very few groups have ever given experimental evidence for super-refraction inside 2D PCs.…”

Influence of the Heat Treatment on the Band Gaps in the Biopolymer Photonic Crystals

“…Photonic crystals find various applications in single-mode waveguides [2], super-prisms [3], perfect lenses [4], and biosensors [5]. These applications would be significantly improved if the band structure of the crystal could be tuned.…”