Bragg reflection of light from silicon-based two-dimensional photonic crystals under multiwave-diffraction conditions

Mechanisms of the formation of the Bragg reflection spectra of light from two-dimensional photonic crystals have been studied in terms of an approach based on dynamic diffraction theory. The spectra have been calculated for a structure with a hexagonal silicon-based lattice. The calculated reflection contours are compared with the energy spectra of the eigenmodes of a spatially limited photonic crystal. It is demonstrated for the first time that it is possible to observe multiwave diffraction effects in the optical spectra of two-dimensional photonic-crystal structures. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America.