Nanostructural effects on optical properties of tungsten inverse opal

Tungsten (W) photonic crystals are very attractive because of their potential applications in the conventional lighting field. In this work we show that W nanostructures have dominative effects on optical properties of W inverse opal. The nanoparticle structure of W phase can cause intensive optical absorption and breakdown of the photonic band gap; on the contrary, W inverse opal made from bulk and compact W phase would have weak absorption and possess a good photonic band gap. The results will throw a new light on the study and application of W photonic crystals and development of other photonic crystal and black-body materials.