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Journal of Thin Films, Coating Science Technology & Application Research Article

PHOTONIC CRYSTAL AND PLASMONIC NANOSTRUCTURES: DESIGN, PROPERTIES AND EMERGING APPLICATIONS

  1. Aasha Devi MSc Student; Department of Chemistry, NSCBM Govt. College Hamirpur Himachal Pradesh (HP) 177005
  2. Kewal Krishan MSc Student; Department of Chemistry, NSCBM Govt. College Hamirpur Himachal Pradesh (HP) 177005
  3. Sunil Kumar Assistant Professor,Department of Chemistry; NSCBM Govt. College Hamirpur Himachal Pradesh (HP) 177005
  4. Samjeet Singh Thakur ✉ Assistant Professor,Department of Chemistry; NSCBM Govt. College Hamirpur Himachal Pradesh (HP) 177005

This is an unedited manuscript accepted for publication and provided as an Article in Press for early access at the author’s request. The article will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and galley proof review before final publication. Please be aware that errors may be identified during production that could affect the content. All legal disclaimers of the journal apply.

Abstract

Photonic crystal and Plasmonic nanostructure hybrids have drawn significant interest in their ability to simultaneously control the spectral properties of light and its spatial electromagnetic field distribution at the nanometer scale. While photonic crystals (PhCs) regulate light propagation via microscopic photonic band gaps that block specific wavelengths, they suffer from limited field localization; conversely, plasmonic nanostructures generate highly localized nanoscale electric fields but are limited by high energy losses. To overcome these pure dielectric and metallic drawbacks, this study engineered hybrid P-PhC architectures that combine both paradigms to leverage their strengths and vastly enhance light-matter interactions beyond single-system capabilities. These hybrid modes achieved outstanding performance, demonstrating refractive index sensitivities up to 1672 nm/RIU alongside figures of merit exceeding 2300 RIU⁻¹, while DNA-programmable plasmonic superlattices yielded reflection coefficients of 0.99 with photonic stop bands up to 250 nm wide. Ultimately, by bridging long-range spectral control with nanoscale field confinement, these hybrid architectures pave the way for next-generation, label-free biosensors for point-of-care diagnostics and early cancer detection, as well as more efficient solar cells via enhanced light harvesting.

Keywords

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