Photonic crystal properties of packed submicrometric SiO2 spheres (original) (raw)

This letter discusses the optical properties of packed monodisperse silica submicron spheres through optical transmission measurements. The findings indicate that these structures exhibit a three-dimensional face-centered cubic arrangement, with tunable optical properties via sphere size (ranging from 200 to 700 nm) covering the visible to near-infrared spectrum. Both microscopy and optical data confirm the 3D ordering, showing the potential of these silica structures as photonic crystals with pseudo-gaps and the capacity to be combined with high refractive index materials to achieve full photonic band gap materials.