Unconventional optical Tamm states in metal-terminated three-dimensional photonic crystals

Unconventional optical Tamm surface states have been demonstrated in transmission and reflectance spectra of three-dimensional opal photonic crystals coated by thin metal films. These states appear in registry with diffraction resonances and localize the electromagnetic energy in asymmetric resonators formed by stacks of lattice planes and metal semishells. Tamm defect states provide the bypass for light at the edges of the Bragg diffraction resonances and thus reduce the diffraction efficiency. Despite the hidden nature of this effect, its magnitude is comparable to the extraordinary transmission associated with the surface-plasmon polaritons that are simultaneously excited at the surfaces of the corrugated metal films.