Photonic bandgap crystals by self-assembly

This paper describes the use of confined self-assembly in organizing monodispersed spherical colloids into face-center-cubic crystalline lattices for photonic crystals applications. Using this method, we were able to conveniently control the thickness, the density and structure of defects, and the orientation of a crystal. Inverse opals of polymers and ceramic materials were also synthesized by templating corresponding precursors against three-dimensional colloidal crystals. As an extension to this method, we also demonstrated the hierarchical self-assembly that involved building blocks with sizes on two different scales, and its application in forming inverse opals.