Bandgap Device Brings Galaxies into Sharper Focus

A group of Iowa State University researchers has successfully demonstrated a photonic bandgap filter that can operate in the far-IR region of the spectrum.
According to Gary Tuttle, who is
an electrical and computer engineering professor at the university, the filter will give astronomers more of the desired light while rejecting unwanted light. Although other filters have similar capabilities, the new filters could prove less expensive. They could be used for several applications, including certain microwave devices, cell phones, radar antennas, global positioning systems and high-efficiency lasers.