Photon lifetime in 3-dimensional photonic crystals with a pseudogap

In this paper, we explore the link between the photon lifetime and the field intensity distribution in colloidal photonic crystals. The alternative way to study the strength of the coupling between an atomic or molecular radiative system and a 3D photonic crystal based on the deformation seen on a pulse exiting the structure. We numerically calculate the transmission of a 0,1 ps gaussian pulse generated in the center of a 25-micron fcc colloidal crystal and propagating in the direction using the finite difference time domain method. Within the pseudo-gap region, the transmitted pulse exhibits a clear deformation, which appears to be measurable, due to an increase in the light exit time.