Maximization of Photonic Bandgaps in Two-Dimensional Superconductor Photonic Crystals

In this paper, we investigate the properties of photonic band structures in two-dimensional superconductor photonic crystals (2D-SCPCs) using the frequency dependent plane wave expansion method. We consider two types of 2D-SCPCs, which are composed of superconductor (dielectric) rods embedded into a dielectric (superconductor) background, named type I (type II) SCPCs. We target maximization of the gap-to-mid-gap ratio by varying many parameters, namely, shape of the rods, the operating temperature, the permittivity of the dielectric material, and the threshold frequency of the superconductor. We show that the type II SCPCs have a higher gap-to-mid-gap ratio than the type I SCPCs. In addition, the PBGs can be tuned efficiently by the operating temperature. Moreover, the photonic band structures can be tailored by changing the dielectric constant of the background (rods) in the type I (type II) SCPCs.