Nanophotonic Materials: Photonic Crystals, Plasmonics and Metamaterials

Abstract

Abstract Following the successful launch of the book on 'Photonic Crystals' in 2004 [1], this special issue of physica status solidi again comprises the work of research groups from the corresponding Priority Programme of the German Research Foundation and some of their close collaborators. Three years on, the understanding of photonic crystal properties has improved across numerous materials systems, applications were devised and developed approaching the industrial stage, and attention extended to the new areas of plasmonic crystals and metamaterials. The current issue presents a collection of Feature Articles reporting on the progress in this active field. In the tradition of the first publication, the Cover Picture shows an overlay of a 3D photonic crystal made from macroporous silicon, a simulation of a waveguide splitter, and the lasing modes of a planar photonic crystals laser made from III–V‐compound semiconductors (Picture courtesy of conImago, http://www.conimago.de ). (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)