2010 Volume 49 Issue 6 Pages 513-520
Block copolymers, liquid crystals and colloid crystals provide very promising photonic-crystal materials for non-linear optical devices that enable us to realize a ubiquitous society based on high-speed communication. They spontaneously form such highly ordered periodic structures as opals or bright blue wings of morphos. Deep understanding of the formation mechanism via self-assembly and also the technique of the structural control enables us to control the flow of light. Recently, we have developed the novel technique to fabricate photonic crystals in semi-dilute solutions of ultra-high-molecular-weight block copolymers. In this article, the formation mechanism of our photonic crystals in the solution is reviewed. It is also demonstrated that because polymers are soft the photonic materials possess tunability of the periods and the morphologies which can be applied to non-linear optical devices.
