Ordered carbon nanotubes and globular opals as a model of multiscaling photonic crystals

Experimental data on carbon nanotube carpet and synthetic opals have been compared by visible, infrared spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. Spectral features of the objects under study in infrared region are registered. Three regions of abnormal behavior of reflectance and absorbance for carbon nanotube carpet and two regions for opals in the 7000-2000 cm-1 are observed in comparison with the separated nanotubes or SiO2 globules in disordered states and/or condensed state. The spectroscopic features of the photonic crystals caused by their different microstructures at different length scales and basis for development of a proper model for light propagation through the photonic crystals in the IR region are presented for discussion.