Quasicrystalline Structures And Uses Thereof

• US 20120049112A1
• Filed: 10/12/2011
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Trustees of Princeton University (Princeton University)
• Original Assignee: The Trustees of Princeton University (Princeton University)
• Inventors: Steinhardt, Paul Joseph, Chaikin, Paul Michael, Man, Weining
• Granted Patent: US 8,243,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 252/182.11
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 220/56 Acrylamide; Methacrylamide
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 222/385 Monomers containing two or more (meth)acrylamide groups, e.g. N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 59/245 aromatic
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 65/22 Cyclic ethers having at least one atom other than carbon and hydrogen outside the ring
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1225 comprising photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/002 having heterojunctions or graded gap

Abstract

This invention relates generally to the field of quasicrystalline structures. In preferred embodiments, the stopgap structure is more spherically symmetric than periodic structures facilitating the formation of stopgaps in nearly all directions because of higher rotational symmetries. More particularly, the invention relates to the use of quasicrystalline structures for optical. mechanical, electrical and magnetic purposes. In some embodiments, the invention relates to manipulating, controlling, modulating and directing waves including electromagnetic, sound, spin, and surface waves, for a pre-selected range of wavelengths propagating in multiple directions.

Claims

1. A quasicrystalline composition of matter comprising a heterostructure, said heterostructure comprising a quasicrystalline arrangement of dielectric materials in a two-dimensional space, wherein said arrangement has at least a five-fold symmetry axis and not a six-fold symmetry axis and wherein said composition exhibits a photonic band structure in said two-dimensional space, said band structure having corresponding symmetry, which symmetry is forbidden in crystals, and which band structure comprises a complete two-dimensional band gap.

2. The composition of matter of claim 1 wherein said heterostructure comprises at least two dielectric materials.

3. The composition of matter of claim 1 wherein the quasicrystalline arrangement includes higher point group symmetry than said crystals.

4. The composition of matter of claim 1 wherein said complete bandgap is circularly symmetric.

5. A method of making the quasicrystal composition of claim 1, the method comprising arranging at least two different dielectric elements or materials in a quasiperiodically ordered pattern in a two-dimensional space, said pattern having a preselected rotational symmetry forbidden in a crystalline material to create a composition that exhibits a photonic band structure having a corresponding rotational symmetry, which band structure comprises a complete band gap in two dimensions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said pattern comprises structural defects introduced by removing or positioning particles or elements in the quasicrystal in a manner to thereby control the optical and physical properties of said quasicrystal.