Photon band structures: The plane-wave method

Abstract

Using both the plane-wave and the Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker method, the photon band structure is calculated within the scalar wave approximation for a fcc lattice of dielectric microspheres embedded within a uniform host medium. The plane-wave method is found to converge fairly rapidly. The optimal volume-filling fraction of spheres for the creation of a gap in the photon density of states is found to vary substantially with the relative dielectric constant r, and this gap persists for r as small as 3.