Photonic bandgap effects in a dye-polymer-opal composite

Summary form only given. The nanocomposite dye-polymer-opal has been prepared and its emission properties investigated to study photonic bandgap (PBG) effects. Opal samples with a periodicity of 220 nm were impregnated with Coumarin 6 dissolved in a polymer solution. Subsequently, UV radiation was used to obtain a solid polymer network in the opal voids. The insufficient refractive index contrast (RI), prevented a full photonic bandgap, however, distinct effects of the PBG structure on the dye emission were observed. The angular dispersion of the scattered light was studied by rotating the sample so that the angle between the [111] plane of opal and the beam axis (/spl theta/) could be varied between the normal and /spl theta/=40/spl deg/. The angle of detection of the scattered light was kept equal to the angle of the light incidence. Photoluminescence was recorded from the front and the back of the sample in both cases under front surface excitation.