Optical diffraction from opal-based photonic structures: transition from 2D to 3D regimes

We report on experimental and theoretical investigations of light diffraction from opal films of different thickness. A special attention was paid to the transformation of diffraction patterns upon building up the opal structure from two-dimensional (2D) film structure towards bulk three-dimensional (3D) structure. In our setup the diffraction patterns are displayed on a narrow cylindrical screen with a specimen fixed in its center. The diffraction patterns have been studied visually and recorded in different scattering geometries with the films illuminated with white unpolarized light. With increasing number of layers, certain regions of 2D diffraction patterns fade out and finally form diffraction spots characteristic for 3D diffraction. We also found that stacking faults in bulk opals lead to formation of a 2D-like diffraction pattern, i.e. such structure demonstrate 3D to quasi-2D transition in optical properties.