Metallo-dielectric photonic crystals for infrared applications

Summary form only given. There are a wide range of applications calling for low-loss, broad-band filters in the long-wave infrared, particularly in the atmospheric transmission windows at 3-5 /spl mu/m and 8-12 /spl mu/m. McIntosh et al. (1997) have demonstrated the use of metallo-dielectric photonic crystals (MDPCs) for infrared bandstop filters. Similar characteristics have been obtained at microwave frequencies using flat metal scatterers. In order to obtain a bandpass filter, one might use the Babinet complement of flat metal scatterers-apertures in flat metal sheets (also called inductive mesh). We have fabricated both bandstop and bandpass filters using flat scatterers for infrared wavelengths, and have used a finite difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation to accurately model the filter performance.