Multiple scattering theory and its application to photonic band gap systems consisting of coated spheres

The vector wave multiple scattering method is a reliable and efficient technique in treating the photonic band gap problem for photonic crystals composed of spherically scattering objects with metallic components. In this paper, we describe the formalism and its application to the photonic band structures of systems comprising of metallo-dielectric spheres. We show that the photonic band gaps are essentially determined by local short-range order rather than by the translational symmetry if the volume fraction of the metallic core is high. (C) 2001 Optical Society of America.