Numerical analysis of plasma enhanced photonic crystals

In the broad field of photonics artificially structured periodic materials (so-called photonic crystals) play a key role due to their extraordinary electromagnetic properties. One of which is the existence of (multiple) bandgaps. Resulting, these materials allow for electromagnetic wave propagation in distinct frequency ranges. Furthermore, systematically introduced defects in periodicity enable to control certain waveguide modes. In this contribution the influence of microplasmas on the electromagnetic behavior of these metamaterials is analyzed by means of FDTD simulations. One main result is that defects - realized by singular microplasmas - significantly change the wave propagation. The wave propagation can be completely suppressed. In order to understand what actually happens, the interaction of an electromagnetic pulse with a 1-dimensional array of plasmas is studied using self-consistent kinetic simulations.