Abstract
We present a study of graded photonic crystals presenting a mirage effect. This light bending is understood through parametric studies of the isofrequency curves. We derive a model based on the effective index computation and on the Eikonal equation in order to demonstrate that photonic mirages originate from the same physical principles as atmospheric mirages. A graded photonic crystal presenting a superbending effect is proposed for designing a bent waveguide.