Diffraction inhibition in two-dimensional photonic crystals.

We show the existence of flat equal-frequency contour across the entire first Brillouin zone in two-dimensional photonic crystals. Under this condition, light diffraction can be inhibited. Moreover, the beam can be highly localized between two neighboring rows of the defect-free photonic crystal. Such a finding may have novel applications in light beam manipulations and on-chip integrated photonic devices.