Photonic Crystals: Fabrication Techniques

This lecture explores the fabrication techniques of photonic crystals, inspired by natural structures like butterfly wings. It covers methods such as wood pile structures, opal structures made from closely packed spheres, and the pioneering work of Eli Jablonovic. Advanced technologies like the Bosch process for etching deep structures are discussed, along with microfabrication techniques like two-photon polymerization. The study of photonic crystals has led to the development of technologies for structures operating in the half-wavelength regime, between 300 to 1000 nanometers.