Layer-by-layer diamond-like woodpile structure with a large photonic band gap

A layer-by-layer periodic dielectric structure with a large photonic band gap is presented. It consists of a layer-by-layer approximation to the triply periodic bicontinuous level set D surface structure having diamond (Fd3m) symmetry. The structure retains the ease of fabrication of the standard woodpile while increasing the maximum quality factor of the gap by 28%. Photonic band gap properties of this structure were calculated using the plane-wave method and its band gap optimized at a fixed index contrast of 3.6:1. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.