Abstract
Using a plane-wave expansion method, we have solved Maxwell’s equations for the propagation of electromagnetic waves in a periodic lattice of dielectric spheres (dielectric constant ) in a uniform dielectric background (). Contrary to experiment, we find that fcc dielectric structures do not have a ‘‘photonic band gap’’ that extends throughout the Brillouin zone. However, we have determined that dielectric spheres arranged in the diamond structure do possess a full photonic band gap. This gap exists for refractive-index contrasts as low as 2.
- Received 4 September 1990
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.65.3152
©1990 American Physical Society