A theoretical investigation of a dual-beam holographic lithography method for the fabrication of omnidirectional photonic crystals

Photonic crystals have, and will continue to revolutionize optical systems. Their ability to control and manipulate light stems from principles similar to those that establish the electronic band structures of semiconductors. The intricate and translational spatial symmetries required to achieve an omnidirectional photonic band gap dictate complex fabrication technologies. The similarity between photonic crystals and volume holograms suggests that a holographic lithography process may simplify the fabrication process. This thesis investigates a dual-beam multiple-exposure holographic lithography approach for producing photonic crystal template structures. The use of a frequency-domain numerical analysis determines if such structures exhibit omndirectional photonic band gaps. The thesis presents design examples by using the engineering parameters extracted from the proposed fabrication process.