Three-dimensional photonic crystals with non-spherical colloids as building blocks

This paper discusses the potential use of non-spherical colloids (see Figur e) as the building blocks in self-assembly to fabricate three-dimensional p hotonic crystals with bandgaps located in the optical regime. The methods o f producing non-spherical colloids as monodisperse samples, and with well-d efined shapes and tightly controlled dimensions are presented, and the meth ods employed to organize these non-spherical colloids into 3D crystalline l attices are discussed.