Structure and Properties of Photonic Amorphous Diamond

Abstract

AbstractPhotonic band gap (PBG) formation and light propagation properties of an amorphous photonic structure named “photonic amorphous diamond (PAD)” are reviewed in this chapter. It has been demonstrated numerically and experimentally that a full three-dimensional (3D) photonic band gap is formed in the photonic amorphous diamond, in spite of complete absence of lattice periodicity. This proves that lattice periodicity is not essential to the realization of a 3D photonic band gap. The 3D photonic band gap in photonic amorphous diamond is clean with no trace of localized photonic states within it. This clean 3D photonic band gap should enable strong light confinement at an introduced defect, which has actually been demonstrated numerically. The 3D photonic band gap in photonic amorphous diamond is completely isotropic, regardless of the wavevector orientation and polarization direction, which, in principle, cannot be realized in conventional photonic crystals. In passbands, the photonic amorphous diamond exhibits diffusive light-propagation, where the scattering strength increases significantly as the frequency approaches the band edge. In frequency ranges near the band edge, the scattering strength is so high that light localization is realized. We discuss new insights given by these findings into the physical origin of photonic band gaps and issues such as light diffusion and localization in photonic materials.KeywordsPhotonic CrystalCavity ModeLattice PeriodicityDielectric SpherePhotonic Band StructureThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.