2D and (2+1)D Colloidal Photonic Crystal

Abstract

Colloidal photonic crystals (CPCs), which are highly ordered structures composed of monodisperse nanoparticles, have surprisingly blossomed in the fields of photonic devices, materials science, and biomedical engineering during the past decades. CPCs can be classified into 2D and 3D colloidal crystals according to the space structures. Researches on 3D CPCs have been very extensive and in-depth, but less attention was paid to 2D CPCs and (2+1)D CPCs, which were developed on the basis of 2D colloidal crystals. This chapter focuses on the preparation, optical properties, and applications of 2D and (2+1)D CPCs. Furthermore, the current limitations and propose perspectives for their future developments are also discussed.