Optimal design of one-dimensional photonic crystal filters using minimax optimization approach

In this paper, we introduce a simulation-driven optimization approach for achieving the optimal design of electromagnetic wave (EMW) filters consisting of one-dimensional (1D) multilayer photonic crystal (PC) structures. The PC layers' thicknesses and/or material types are considered as designable parameters. The optimal design problem is formulated as a minimax optimization problem that is entirely solved by making use of readily available software tools. The proposed approach allows for the consideration of problems of higher dimension than usually treated before. In addition, it can proceed starting from bad initial design points. The validity, flexibility, and efficiency of the proposed approach is demonstrated by applying it to obtain the optimal design of two practical examples. The first is (SiC/Ag/SiO(2))(N) wide bandpass optical filter operating in the visible range. Contrarily, the second example is (Ag/SiO(2))(N) EMW low pass spectral filter, working in the infrared range, which is used for enhancing the efficiency of thermophotovoltaic systems. The approach shows a good ability to converge to the optimal solution, for different design specifications, regardless of the starting design point. This ensures that the approach is robust and general enough to be applied for obtaining the optimal design of all 1D photonic crystals promising applications.