Photonic crystals and their potential applications

A new class of composite materials has emerged which provides a means to control and manipulate light. These materials, known as photonic crystals, are periodic arrays of dielectric scatterers in homogeneous dielectric matrices. They affect the properties of photons in much the same way semiconductors affect the properties of electrons. As a result, photons display similar features such as band structures, localized defect states, and surface states. The ability to design the properties of electromagnetic states will lead to many applications in the control of spontaneous emission and in the fabrication of novel optoelectronic devices.