Band gap or negative refraction effects?

Abstract

By a rigorous numerical simulation based on the standard multiple scattering theory, we investigate the optical transmission in photonic crystal structures, formed by dielectric cylinders embedded in parallel in a uniform medium. In contrast to previous conjectures, the results indicate that the imaging effect which has been interpreted as a signature of the negative refractive effects is caused by a tunnelling effect in the presence of partial band gaps. There is no need for an all-angle negative refraction effect to understand some peculiar phenomena of photonic crystals.