Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026
11:08
Fabrication And Characterization Of Photonic Crystal Slow Light Waveguides And Cavities
Published on: November 30, 2012
Five-beam interference pattern controlled through phases and wave vectors for diamondlike photonic crystals.
Yuankun Lin1, David Rivera, Zsolt Poole
1Department of Physics and Geology, University of Texas-Pan American, Texas 78541, USA. linyk@panan.edu
Applied Optics
|October 28, 2006
Summary
Researchers designed diamondlike photonic crystals using five-beam holographic lithography. This novel method allows for creating photonic crystals with large photonic bandgaps by controlling laser beam phases and wave vectors.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and Materials Science
- Optics and Laser Technology
Background:
- Photonic crystals are crucial for controlling light propagation.
- Existing fabrication methods can be complex and limited in achieving desired bandgap properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a novel method for fabricating diamondlike photonic crystals.
- To explore the creation of photonic crystals with large photonic bandgaps.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing five-beam holographic lithography with all beams originating from the same half-space.
- Employing a single diffractive optical element for exposure.
- Controlling the interference pattern through phase shifts of laser beams.
Main Results:
- Successfully designed diamondlike photonic crystals.
- Demonstrated the capability to create photonic crystals with large photonic bandgaps.
- The fabrication process is simplified by using a single diffractive optical element.
Conclusions:
- Holographic lithography with five-beam interference offers a new route to photonic crystal fabrication.
- The method provides precise control over photonic bandgap sizes through adjustments in beam phase and wave vector.
- This technique is promising for advanced photonic device applications.
Related Concept Videos
02:18Interference and Diffraction
Interference is a characteristic phenomenon exhibited by waves. When two electromagnetic waves interact with their peaks and troughs coinciding, a resulting wave with enhanced amplitude is produced. This is known as constructive interference. In this case, the two waves interacting are in phase with each other.
02:18X-ray Crystallography
The size of the unit cell and the arrangement of atoms in a crystal may be determined from measurements of the diffraction of X-rays by the crystal, termed X-ray crystallography.
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
01:29Determination of Crystal Structures
In the late 1800s, the revelation that light extended beyond visible wavelengths led to the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen. Recognized as high-energy electromagnetic radiation with short wavelengths, X-rays prompted exploration into their interaction with crystals. Max von Laue proposed in 1912 that the periodic arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in crystals would cause them to diffract X-rays, a hypothesis confirmed through experiments with copper sulfate and zinc sulfide...
01:24The Seven Crystal Systems: Overview
Crystals with various point group symmetries belong to different crystal classes, which are synonymous terms. Despite being in the same class, crystals may have distinct shapes, like cubes and octahedra. There are 32 three-dimensional point groups, all of which are systematically divided into seven crystal systems.The basic cubic crystal system, exemplified by NaCl, features orthogonal vectors (α = β = �� = 90°) of equal lengths (a = b = c). When specific requirements are not imposed on the...
01:27Symmetry Elements in a Crystal
Crystal symmetry operations are isometric transformations that map objects onto indistinguishable copies while preserving distances, angles, and volumes. The simplest symmetry operation is translation, which shifts the entire infinite crystal lattice parallelly by a translation vector.Crystallographic rotations involve rotations by an angle of 2π/n around an axis without changing the positions of points on the axis. It is called the rotational axis of the symmetry, denoted by n. The combination...
01:25Imperfections in Crystal Structure: Point, Line and Plane Defects
A perfect crystal, in theory, has a uniform structure with the same unit cell and lattice points throughout. However, any deviation from this periodic arrangement is known as an imperfection or defect. These defects can be categorized into three types: point, line, and plane defects.Point defects occur when there is a deviation from the ideal due to missing atoms, displaced atoms, or additional atoms. These imperfections might occur due to imperfect packing during crystallization or because of...