Field localization and enhancement near the Dirac point of a finite defectless photonic crystal

We use a rigorous electromagnetic approach to show the existence of strongly localized modes in the stop band of a linear, two-dimensional, finite photonic crystal near its Dirac point. At normal incidence, the crystal exhibits a Dirac point with 100% transmission. At angles slightly off the normal, where the crystal is 100% reflective, instead of exponentially decaying fields as in a photonic stop band, the field becomes strongly localized and enhanced inside the crystal. We explain that this anomalous localization is due to guided mode resonances that are the foundation of the Dirac point itself and also shape its adjacent band gap. Besides shedding new light on the physical origin of Dirac points in finite photonic crystals, our results could have applications in many nonlinear light-matter interaction phenomena in which it is crucial to achieve a high degree of light localization. © 2013 American Physical Society.