Elliott S Brown

US Patent:

59908505, Nov 23, 1999

Filed:

Sep 5, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/706542

Inventors:

Elliott R. Brown - Arlington VA
John D. Joannopoulos - Belmont MA
Shanhui Fan - Somerville MA
Pierre R. Villeneuve - Boston MA
Oliver B. McMahon - Nashua NH

Assignee:

Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Cambridge MA

International Classification:

H01Q 1514
H01Q 1502

US Classification:

343912

Abstract:

A metallodielectric photonic crystal including a plurality of elements, each having a non-dielectric component, arranged with respect to each other in a three-dimensionally periodic lattice. The non-dielectric components being spatially isolated from one another, the lattice exhibiting a band gap in the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation modes propagating through said lattice. A support structure positions the elements in the three-dimensionally periodic lattice. In an exemplary embodiment, the elements are metallic spheres arranged within dielectric material. The three-dimensionally periodic lattice can include a face-centered-cubic lattice which exhibits a unidirectional photonic band gap, or a diamond lattice which exhibits an omnidirectional photonic band gap. The diamond lattice structure includes a gap width to midgap frequency ratio which can exceed 60%.