Patent ID: 6993235

Claim:
A three-dimensional periodic structure exhibiting a photonic band gap comprising: a first layer including a plurality of columnar structures spaced apart by a predetermined interval; a second layer including a plurality of columnar structures spaced apart by a predetermined interval, the columnar structures extending in a direction different from that of the columnar structures in the first layer; a third layer including a plurality of columnar structures spaced apart by a predetermined interval, the columnar structures extending in the same direction as that of the columnar structures in the first layer; a fourth layer including a plurality of columnar structures spaced apart by a predetermined interval, the columnar structures extending in the same direction as that of the columnar structures in the second layer; and additional layers, each including one layer containing discrete structures disposed discretely in a plane parallel to each of the four layers, wherein the first layer to the fourth layer are stacked sequentially with the additional layer between the individual layers, the first layer and the third layer are stacked such that the columnar structures contained in the two layers mutually shift by one-half the predetermined interval in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the extension of the columnar structures, the second layer and the fourth layer are stacked such that the columnar structures contained in the two layers mutually shift by one-half the predetermined interval in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the extension of the columnar structures, discrete structures contained in the additional layers are disposed at the positions corresponding to the intersections of the columnar structures, and an area of the discrete structure in the plane parallel to each of the four layers is larger than an area of the intersection of the columnar structures.