Experimental Observation of Intrinsic Light Localization in Photonic Icosahedral Quasicrystals

One of the most intriguing problems of light transport in solids is the localization that has been observed in various disordered photonic structures. The light localization in defect-free icosahedral quasicrystals has recently been predicted theoretically without experimental verification. Herein, the fabrication of submicron-size dielectric icosahedral quasicrystals is reported and the results of detailed studies of the photonic properties of these structures are demonstrated. The first direct experimental observation of intrinsic light localization in defect-free quasicrystals is presented. This result is obtained in time-resolved measurements at different laser wavelengths in the visible. The localization is linked with the aperiodicity of the icosahedral structure, which leads to uncompensated scattering of light from an individual structural element over the entire sphere, providing multiple scattering inside the sample and, as a result, the intrinsic localization of light.