Tungsten inverse opals: The influence of absorption on the photonic band structure in the visible spectral region

Abstract
We report on the fabrication and characterization of tungsten inverse opals for the visible and near-infrared spectral region. The crucial influence of the strong absorption in this spectral region is experimentally investigated by means of a gradient deposition technique and characterization with reflectance and transmittance spectroscopy. With increasing metal infiltration, we observe the breakdown of the photonic band structure, resulting first in a sphere-cavity-like behavior and finally in a behavior similar to that of a periodically structured metal surface.