Three-dimensional silicon inverse photonic quasicrystals for infrared wavelengths

Quasicrystals1,2,3,4 are a class of lattices characterized by a lack of translational symmetry. Nevertheless, the points of the lattice are deterministically arranged, obeying rotational symmetry. Thus, we expect properties that are different from both crystals and glasses. Indeed, naturally occurring electronic quasicrystals (for example, AlPdMn metal alloys) show peculiar electronic, vibrational and physico-chemical properties. Regarding artificial quasicrystals for electromagnetic waves, three-dimensional (3D) structures have recently been realized at GHz frequencies5 and 2D structures have been reported for the near-infrared region6,7,8,9. Here, we report on the first fabrication and characterization of 3D quasicrystals for infrared frequencies. Using direct laser writing10,11 combined with a silicon inversion procedure12, we achieve high-quality silicon inverse icosahedral structures. Both polymeric and silicon quasicrystals are characterized by means of electron microscopy and visible-light Laue diffraction. The diffraction patterns of structures with a local five-fold real-space symmetry axis reveal a ten-fold symmetry as required by theory for 3D structures.