Artificially inscribed defects in opal photonic crystals

Opals are three-dimensional photonic crystals, self-assembled from dielectric spherical beads into a face-centered cubic lattice. By introducing intentional defects in the crystal lattice, one modifies features such as spontaneous emission and the directionality of diffracted light. We here present a method for the artificial introduction of a lattice of such intentional defects in self-assembled poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) photonic crystals by means of electron beam lithography. The inscribed defects are of the size of an individual bead, providing a broad spectral range between adjacent resonance peaks. This opens for devices with single line transmission in the photonic band gap, as well as for applications in modification and control of the diffraction properties and directionality of scattered light.