Graded index photonic crystals: A review

Abstract

A new type of photonic crystal (PC) named graded index (GRIN) PC was proposed by E. Centeno in 2005. It is obtained by appropriately modifying the parameters of a regular PC, thus resulting in gradual index variation. Many applications are inspired by this notion. This review will introduce different ways of designing GRIN PCs from both theoretical and experimental point of views. Some typical applications based on GRIN PCs are presented, followed by the focusing mechanism of GRIN PC.