Complex photonic structures

We discuss in detail the optical properties of complex photonic structures, in particular those with a dominating disorder component. We will focus on their general transport properties, as well as on their use as light sources (random lasers). The basis for the theory of multiple light scattering in random systems will be explained as a tutorial introduction to the topic, including the explicit calculation of the effect of coherent backscattering. We will discuss various structures that go beyond regular disordered ones, in particular Lévy glasses, liquid crystals, and quasi-crystals, and show examples of their optical properties both from a conceptual and practical point of view.