Abstract

Recently, photonic crystals have been proposed as means for controlling the direction of propagation of light and other electromagnetic waves. In this way, self-waveguiding has been shown [1] , and their use has been proposed as less-lossy alternatives to lefthanded materials [2]-[8] for producing negative refraction with its consequences for imaging by plane slabs, even with subwavelength focusing [9]-[11]. Although the initially proposed photonic crystal slabs were shown not to produce images as lenses [12], [13]; and, as a matter of fact, it was proven that they are not isoplanatic systems [14], an interesting use as waveguides, beam benders, collimators and beam subwavelength concentrators is show

© 2006 Optical Society of America