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........ published in NEWSLETTER # 58

PHOTONIC BAND GAP MATERIALS
Review by Dr. H. Everitt, U.S. Army Research Office, Ames (U.S.A.)
Photonic band gap materials, often referred to as photonic crystals, are specially machined dielectric or metallic materials which have the property of internally rejecting a frequency band of electromagnetic radiation while transmitting frequencies outside that band. Such crystals are the optical analog of semiconductors because their periodic structure produces a (photonic) band gap related to the lattice constant and wavevector of the radiation. Although one dimensional photonic crystals have been around for decades in the form of highly reflecting dielectric coatings for mirrors, the idea of making a two or three dimensional photonic crystal is only about 10 years old.

Since that time, interest in photonic crystals has grown explosively. The promise of applications such as highly efficient microwave devices and optical lasers has spurred the excitement of this new, multidisciplinary field of study. However, there are very few compilations of information on photonic crystals to which the novice or the expert may refer. "Photonic Band Gap Materials", edited by C.M. Soukoulis, is perhaps the best multidisciplinary compilation of experimental and theoretical research to date on photonic crystals.

The groundbreaking work of most of the leading researchers in the field has been captured in this set of proceedings of a NATO Advanced Study Institute on Photonic Band Gap Materials held in 1995 (NATO ASI SERIES E315). This work provides a snapshot in time of the history of the field and recent research accomplishments. However, it also serves as an excellent tutorial in the experimental and theoretical challenges facing the future of the field. Chapters 1, 2, and 4 (Introduction, Metallic Structures, and Transmission, 1D and 2D Structures) provide particularly lucid overviews of how experiments and calculations are done. Chapter 3 delves into applications of photonic crystals, while Chapter 5 discusses light localization in perfectly periodic and disordered photonic crystals. This book has quickly become an invaluable resource in my laboratory as a timely, authoritative wellspring of useful information. I recommend it highly.
Reference books: 3-1, B184, B189, B288, B308, E270, E315

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