用溶胶凝胶方法, 在碱性催化剂的作用下, 将正硅酸乙脂在乙醇与水的混合溶剂中水解, 获得了光子晶体材料, 即形状完美的二氧化硅球状颗粒。扫描电子显微镜和激光粒度仪分析表明, 所合成的产物为大小约0.7 μm的二氧化硅球状颗粒, 它们能够在玻璃衬底上自动排列成光子晶体。氦氖激光衍射实验表明, 由二氧化硅球状颗粒制成的光子晶体能够对红光产生11级衍射。当一束白光经过二氧化硅光子晶体时, 观测到了六重对称衍射花样, 表明二氧化硅球状颗粒在光子晶体中是六角紧密堆积结构。

Silicate particles are synthesized by hydrolysis of ethyl silicate in the mixed solvents of ethyl alcohol and water under the catalysis of ammonium water solution. Scanning electron microcopy and laser light scattering spectroscopy show that the synthesized silicate particles are in perfect spherical shape and are monodispersed in sizes with their diameters of about 0.7 μm. These silicate particles can assemble themselves into photonic crystals on glass substrates. The eleventh order of diffraction can be observed when a beam of helium-neon laser is perpendicularly incident on the thin films of the photonic crystals formed by the silicate particles. Six-fold symmetric diffraction patterns are recorded when a beam of white light passes through the photonic crystals, suggesting that hexagonal close packing structure can be formed in the photonic crystal by the silicate particles.