Abstract

Photonic crystals (PCs) are fabricated periodic dielectric arrays that employ a combination of Mie scattering from individual elements of the array and Bragg scattering from the periodic lattice to induce a band structure for photon propagation that is, in many ways, analogous to electronic band structure in a semiconductor. Accordingly, the photonic density of states (DOS) in a PC may be drastically modified from that of free space, and can therefore fundamentally alter the nature of radiative emission from active materials embedded in such a crystal. Recent activity in the field has focussed on the realisation of PCs that inhibit photon propagation for all three spatial dimensions in the optical regime. However, relatively little attention has been paid to currently available PCs with such photonic band gaps at microwave frequencies. This is despite the fact that experiments involving radiating dipole antennas in microwave systems are currently feasible, and would provide a guide for forthcoming optical experiments, along with being of practical interest in their own right.

© 2000 IEEE