Strong suppression of the photonic density of states in three-dimensional disordered silicon networks
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Photonic bandgaps can open not only in crystalline dielectric materials but also in amorphous structures. Self-uniform amorphous gyroid networks have been proposed as promising disordered photonic architectures. Motivated by numerical studies, we combine direct laser-writing lithography with advanced materials processing to fabricate these structures from high-refractive-index silicon. Spectroscopic measurements at mid-infrared wavelengths reveal pronounced transmission minima. To investigate the formation of photonic band gaps in amorphous structures, we develop polarization-resolved transmission spectroscopy that separates ballistic and multiply scattered contributions, enabling direct identification of the underlying transport regimes. We observe a strong suppression of diffuse transmission, providing direct experimental evidence for a breakdown of conventional diffuse transport associated with a strongly reduced photonic density of states. Together with large-scale numerical simulations, our results establish the presence of a deep photonic pseudogap in an amorphous three-dimensional dielectric material and open new opportunities for observing disorder-induced localization phenomena, including Anderson localization of light.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: Strong Localization of Light through the Controlled Assembly of Amorphous Patchy Colloid Networks, Hyperuniform Disordered Metasurfaces for Selective Absorbers, Forces induced by artificial random light fields, Soft condensed matter with correlated disorder, Hyperuniform Disordered Metasurfaces for Selective Absorbers
OpenAlex ID: W7206214763