Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Spectral and Angle-Resolved Magneto-Optical Characterization of Photonic Nanostructures
Published on: November 21, 2019
Interferometric technique for the measurement of photonic band structure in colloidal crystals
Abstract:
Under suitable conditions polystyrene microsphere colloids form photonic crystals capable of diffracting visible light, analogous to x-ray diffraction from atomic crystal planes. The lattice spacings of these crystals can be tailored to satisfy the Bragg condition along a certain direction for a particular desired wavelength. A modified Mach-Zehnder interferometer has been developed for accurately measuring relative phase shifts of light propagating in photonic crystals to determine the dispersion resulting from photonic band structure near the band edges.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Determination of Crystal Structures
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...

