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Photonic crystals are periodic optical structures that can control the flow of light in the same way that the periodic potential in a semiconductor crystal affects the flow of electrons. After an introduction of the principles behind the unusual properties, and how they enable both the design of various sensors and the spectacular color changes accomplished by chameleons, the book describes several fascinating and unexpected theoretical aspects, methods, and discoveries how atoms can be trapped or photons could be guided ?beyond photonic bandgaps?. Specific examples of photonic crystal applications are discussed in the third part. They include smart supercapacitors, torque sensors, optimized light trapping in solar cells, photonic tweezers, pressure-responsive shape memory, and NOT gates for quantum computers.
