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Self-assembly route for photonic crystals with a bandgap in the visible region

Nature Materials volume 6, pages 202–205 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Three-dimensional photonic crystals, or periodic materials, that do not allow the propagation of photons in all directions with a wavelength in the visible region have not been experimentally fabricated, despite there being several potential structures and the interesting applications and physics that this would lead to1. We show using computer simulations that two structures that would enable a bandgap in the visible region, diamond and pyrochlore, can be self-assembled in one crystal structure from a binary colloidal dispersion. In our approach, these two structures are obtained as the large (Mg) and small (Cu) sphere components of the colloidal analogue of the MgCu2 Laves phase2, whose growth can be selected and directed using appropriate wall patterning. The method requires that the particles consist of different materials, so that one of them can be removed selectively after drying (for example, by burning or dissolution). Photonic calculations show that gaps appear at relatively low frequencies indicating that they are robust and open for modest contrast, enabling fabrication from more materials.

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Figure 1: Binary Laves crystal structures.
Figure 2: Phase diagram of binary hard spheres with a small-to-large size ratio of 0.82.
Figure 3: Density profile and a snapshot of the simulation along the z direction.
Figure 4: Calculated relative width of the gap between bands 2 and 3 as a function of the dielectric contrast.

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Acknowledgements

We thank M. Megens for the MPB patch file and A. Moroz for useful discussions on KKR calculations and for providing the FORTRAN KKR code. This work is part of the research program of the ‘Stichting voor Fundamenteel Onderzoek der Materie (FOM)’, which is financially supported by the ‘Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO)’. The work of E.C.M.V. is supported by NanoNed, a nanotechnology program of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. This work has been carried out within the framework of the SFB TR6 Collaborative Research Centre. On its inducement, it has been printed under appropriation of funds that were set at disposal by the DFG.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544-5263, USA

    Antti-Pekka Hynninen

  2. Soft Condensed Matter, Debye Institute, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Antti-Pekka Hynninen, Job H. J. Thijssen, Esther C. M. Vermolen, Marjolein Dijkstra & Alfons van Blaaderen

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Contributions

A.-P.H. did the MC simulations under the supervision of M.D., J.H.J.T and E.C.M.V did the photonic bandgap calculations and A.v.B. initiated and supervised the project.

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Correspondence to Antti-Pekka Hynninen or Alfons van Blaaderen.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Hynninen, AP., Thijssen, J., Vermolen, E. et al. Self-assembly route for photonic crystals with a bandgap in the visible region. Nature Mater 6, 202–205 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat1841

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