Inverse Design Problems in Electromagnetics and Nano-Photonics

In the Photonic Crystal field, we must now concentrate on the numerical solution of inverse design problems. There are a number of inverse algorithms, including genetic algorithms, the error-propagation method, and simulated annealing, that can contribute toward photonic crystal design.

Maxwell's equations are to photonic crystals, as Schrodinger's equation is to conventional crystals. Since photonic crystals are purely products of our imagination, the question has always been what is the exact structure that should be fabricated? This is particularly true for 2-dimensional thin photonic crystals, which can be mass-produced in any Silicon foundry. Nevertheless, it is not yet clear what is the exact 2-d structure that would achieve a desired goal.