Self-assembled three-dimensional inverted photonic crystals on a photonic chip

Three dimensional photonic crystals (PhCs) exhibiting a full photonic band gap have high potential in optical signal processing and detector applications. However, the challenges in the integration of the 3D PhCs into photonic circuits have so far hindered their exploitation in real devices. This article demonstrates the fabrication of 3D PhCs exploiting the capillary directed self-assembly (CDSA) of monodisperse colloidal silica spheres, their inversion to silicon shells, and integration with silicon waveguides. The measured transmission characteristics agree with numerical predictions and provide strong indication of a full photonic band gap in the inverted 3D photonic crystals at wavelengths close to 1.55 μm. Silicon inverted photonic crystal self-assembled into a cavity in a waveguide intersection and the corresponding photonic band structure of the crystal, together with the simulated transmission, reflection, and absorption spectra.