Simulation of Damage in Three Dimensional Metallic Photonic Crystal Due to Micro-indentation

Photonic crystals (PC) are synthetic materials that can be used to control light propagation. PC have a frequency bandgap where light is forbidden to propagate. This bandgap is strongly tied to the microstructure of the photonic crystal. Three-dimensional Tungsten photonic crystal in a Lincoln-log microstructure has been suggested as a strong alternative filter in photo voltaic cells with significantly high power efficiency. Mechanical characterization of Tungsten PC can be performed using means of micro-indentation. Here we present a three dimensional finite element simulation of the structural response of a Tungsten photonic crystal under micro-indentation load. Stresses developed in the PC can be used to quantify the level of damage in the crystal. We compare our simulation results with the experimental observations of a Vickers micro-indentation of Tungsten PC. The FE model was proven able to simulate the mechanical response of the PC with a good accuracy. The calibrated FE model can be further used to realize the mechanical behavior of PC under different thermal and mechanical stresses when used as filters in photo voltaic cells.