Three-dimensional ordered particulate structures: Method to retrieve characteristics from photonic band gap data

•A method to retrieve characteristics of photonic crystals is proposed.•The method is based on the inverse problem solution using the photonic band gap data.•Retrieval of the refractive index of photonic crystal particles is demonstrated.•Retrieval results show inhomogeneous distribution of synthetic opal particle pores.

A method to retrieve characteristics of ordered particulate structures, such as photonic crystals, is proposed. It is based on the solution of the inverse problem using data on the photonic band gap (PBG). The quasicrystalline approximation (QCA) of the theory of multiple scattering of waves and the transfer matrix method (TMM) are used. Retrieval of the refractive index of particles is demonstrated. Refractive indices of the artificial opal particles are estimated using the published experimental data.