Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.

Che-Ting Chan

Kai-Ming Ho

Costas M Soukoulis

Gary L Tuttle

Rana Biswas

Ekmel Ozbay

Erick Michel

A method for fabricating a periodic dielectric structure which exhibits a photonic band gap. Alignment holes are formed in a wafer of dielectric material having a given crystal orientation. A planar layer of elongate rods is then formed in a section of the wafer. The formation of the rods includes the step of selectively removing the dielectric material of the wafer between the rods. The formation of alignment holes and layers of elongate rods and wafers is then repeated to form a plurality of patterned wafers. A stack of patterned wafers is then formed by rotating each successive wafer with respect to the next-previous wafer, and then placing the successive wafer on the stack. This stacking results in a stack of patterned wafers having a four-layer periodicity exhibiting a photonic band gap.

Periodic dielectric structure for production of photonic band gap and

A periodic dielectric structure which is capable of producing a photonic band gap and which is capable of practical construction. The periodic structure is formed of a plurality of layers, each layer being formed of a plurality of rods separated by a given spacing. The material of the rods contrasts with the material between the rods to have a refractive index contrast of at least two. The rods in each layer are arranged with their axes parallel and at a given spacing. Adjacent layers are rotated by 90.degree., such that the axes of the rods in any given layer are perpendicular to the axes in its neighbor. Alternating layers (that is, successive layers of rods having their axes parallel such as the first and third layers) are offset such that the rods of one are about at the midpoint between the rods of the other. A four-layer periocity is thus produced, and successive layers are stacked to form a three-dimensional structure which exhibits a photonic band gap. By virtue of forming the device in layers of elongate members, it is found that the device is susceptible of practical construction.

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Ames, IA, United States of America

Che-Ting Chan