Photonic crystals exhibiting full photonic band gaps

Ovidiu Toader and Sajeev John
Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Canada

We describe and analyze a novel three dimensional photonic crystal which can be fabricated using chemical vapour deposition or thin film growing type of methods such as Glancing Angle Deposition method[1]. The crystal posseses a large full photonic band gap which is very stable with respect to changes in the geometrical parameters of the crystal. We perform an optimization of the relative size of the full photonic band gap with respect to the geometry of the crystal. Total density of states and electric field distribution is calculated as well. The possibility of using three dimensional
photonic crystals for atom cooling and trapping is also discussed[2].

[1] K. Robbie and M. J. Brett, Nature 384, 616 (1996).
[2] O. Toader and S. John, To be published.