Geometric control of honeycomb superlattice plasma photonic crystals in dielectric barrier discharge

Abstract We propose a scheme for dynamically controlling the geometric configurations of honeycomb superlattice plasma photonic crystals (HsPPCs) in dielectric barrier discharge. A rapid transition from a simple honeycomb lattice to diverse HsPPCs has been achieved in ambient air. The HsPPCs exhibit substantial omnidirectional band gaps (OBGs), approximately three times larger than those of simple honeycomb lattices. An experimental verification of the OBGs as well as their frequency shifting with reconfiguration of different HsPPCs has been provided. A phenomenological reaction-diffusion system is developed to unravel the generation mechanism of HsPPCs. The experimental observations are consistent with the numerical simulations. Our approach provides a unique method for manufacturing tunable HsPPCs which significantly enhance the band gap size and improve the photonic properties.