Photonic crystal waveguide directional couplers as wavelength selective optical filters

Waveguide directional couplers, formed by two closely spaced linear defect waveguides in a two-dimensional photonic crystal of air holes in a semiconductor matrix, are numerically studied using plane wave expansion and finite difference time domain methods. The coupling lengths are on a wavelength scale and show a strong wavelength dependence, allowing for the design of compact wavelength selective optical filters. Applications as a channel interleaver for the 1.55 μm wavelength range and as a micrometer sized 1.31/1.55 μm wavelength demultiplexer are presented.     

一种新型光子晶体波导定向耦合型超微偏振光分束器

将两个二维空气孔光子晶体波导平行放置,两波导之间由三排空气孔相隔,构成一个定向耦合器.数值分析了TE(磁场平行于空气孔)和TM(电场平行于空气孔)偏振态光波在该定向耦合器中的传播行为.结果表明,减小耦合区两波导间的一排介质柱的半径,TE模的耦合长度减小,而TM模的耦合长度不变.基于此结构,设计了超微偏振光分束器,整个器件的尺寸为10.1μm,与已报道的24.2μm的结果相比,该器件具有更小的器件尺寸和更高的输出效率.     

Dispersionless slow light by photonic crystal slab waveguide with innermost elliptical air holes

We report a low-loss photonic crystal slab waveguide formed by deforming the innermost circle air holes in the conventional photonic crystal slab waveguide into elliptical ones. We obtain the photonic bands and group index of guided modes in this photonic crystal waveguide by guided-mode expansion method and investigate the dependence of photonic bands and group index of guided modes on the parameters of the innermost elliptical air holes. The group velocity and group velocity dispersion of this waveguide strongly depend on the innermost elliptical air holes. Photonic crystal slab waveguide with the optimum innermost elliptical air holes possesses a wider single mode region below the light line, in which light can easily propagate without intrinsic loss. At the same time, the guided mode supported by this waveguide has nearly constant group velocity and vanishing group velocity dispersion in a 3-5 nm bandwidth.     

用级联缓变结构实现光子晶体波导和传统波导的耦合

为了提高光子晶体波导与传统介质波导的耦合效率,设计了级联缓变结构.先将传统介质波导中的光耦合进尺寸相当的光子晶体W5波导中,然后W5波导中的光被耦合进尺寸较小些的W3波导中,最后光被耦合进尺寸最小的W1波导.各级波导之间由半径逐渐增大的空气孔连接,空气孔半径逐渐变化相当于波导有效折射率在变化,所以各级波导可以看作是被折射率缓变结构连接起来.由于折射率的缓变,使得光从前一级波导耦合进相邻的后一级波导时反射很小,从而能有效地提高耦合效率.数值计算表明,在光子晶体禁带范围内,除了波导有限长度和波导微小禁带造成的微小不通带外,耦合系数一般能达80%左右,最高可达到95%.     

Slight disorder effects in two dimensional photonic crystal structures

In the actual manufacturing process of photonic crystal structure, unavoidable error can generate slight disorder which may influence the performance of photonic crystal based device. In this work, randomly distributional disorders are applied to the air holes in the photonic crystal structure. Based on this, we investigate the influence of the slight disorder on the photonic crystal band structure and the performance of photonic crystal based devices (waveguide and slab cavity). The studies indicate that the slight disorder provides small influence on the band structure of the photonic crystal. But, the random disorder in photonic crystal waveguide may increase transmission loss obviously when the wavelength of the light and the distribution of disorder break the balance of multiple interferences. Also, the slight disorder can reduce the Q factor of the photonic crystal cavity at a certain degree. The studies may provide some useful guides for further photonic crystal device research.     

Improved photonic crystal directional coupler with short length

We investigate a photonic crystal (PC) waveguide coupler which is formed by two closely spaced linear waveguides in a two-dimensional triangular lattice of air holes. Our study shows that shifting one row of the air holes between the waveguides affects the dispersion curves of the guided modes and if the triangular lattice of air holes between the waveguides is replaced by a rectangular lattice, this modification results in an ultra-short coupling structure with coupling length less than 3a, where a is the lattice constant. Also, we investigate the effect of changing the radii of air holes that are adjacent to or between the waveguides on the coupling length and show that increasing the radius of air holes between the waveguides decreases the coupling length. We analyze the output spectrum of an ultra-short channel drop filter designed based on this structure.     

High-Q microfluidic cavities in silicon-based two-dimensional photonic crystal structures

We demonstrate postprocessed microfluidic double-heterostructure cavities in silicon-based photonic crystal slab waveguides. The cavity structure is realized by selective fluid infiltration of air holes using a glass microtip, resulting in a local change of the average refractive index of the photonic crystal. The microcavities are probed by evanescent coupling from a silica nanowire. An intrinsic quality factor of 57,000 has been derived from our measurements, representing what we believe to be the largest value observed in microfluidic photonic crystal cavities to date.     

Four-port coupled channel-guide device based on 2D photonic crystal structure

We have fabricated and measured a four-port coupled channel-waveguide device using W1 channel waveguides oriented along ΓK directions in a two-dimensional (2D) hole-based planar photonic crystal (PhC) based on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) waveguide material, at operation wavelengths around 1550 nm. 2D FDTD simulations and experimental results are shown and compared. The structure has been designed using a mode conversion approach, combined with coupled-mode concepts. The overall length of the photonic crystal structure is typically about 39 μm and the structure has been fabricated using a combination of direct-write electron-beam lithography (EBL) and dry-etch processing. Devices were measured using a tunable laser with end-fire coupling into the planar structure.     

Metal–dielectric photonic crystal superlattice: 1D and 2D models and empty lattice approximation

Periodic nanostructures are one of the main building blocks in modern nanooptics. They are used for constructing photonic crystals and metamaterials and provide optical properties that can be changed by adjusting the geometrical parameters of the structures. In this paper the optical properties of a photonic crystal slab with a 2D superlattice are discussed. The structure consists of a gold layer with a finite periodic pattern of air holes that is itself repeated periodically with a larger superperiod. We propose simplified 1D and 2D models to understand the physical nature of Wood's anomalies in the optical spectra of the investigated structure. The latter are attributed to the Rayleigh anomalies, surface plasmon Bragg resonances and the hole-localized plasmons.     

基于宽度可调节的线缺陷平板型光子晶体的空气槽微腔

研究了一种空气槽光子晶体微腔,这种腔是由在平板型光子晶体上引入一条宽度可以调节的线缺陷空气槽形成的.腔模的电场被强烈局限在空气槽中,由于介电常量的不连续性,电场得到很大的提高,同时模体积被大大地降低.数值模拟与分析了微腔的能带结构和场分布,考虑到腔模的谐振频率和对称性,发现一阶偶膜同时具有较高的品质因子和较小的模体积;应用有限时域差分法,得到腔模的品质因子可以高达10⁶,模体积仅为0.02(λ/n)³.计算了一阶偶模谐振波长随空气槽宽度以及空气孔半径的变化,发现随着宽度的增加,波长越来越短.而随着空气孔半径的增加,波长近似线性地减小;当空气孔半径为170 nm时,可以获得最高的腔品质因子.     

Tuning of full band gap in anisotropic photonic crystal slabs using a liquid crystal

We analyze the tunability of full band gap in photonic crystal slabs created by square and triangular lattices of air holes in anisotropic tellurium background, considering that the regions above and below the slab are occupied by SiO₂ and the holes are infiltrated with liquid crystals. Using the supercell method based on plane wave expansion, we study the variation of full band gap by changing the optical axis orientation of liquid crystal. Our results demonstrate the existence and remarkable tunability of full band gap in both square and triangular lattices, largest band gap and tunability being obtained for the triangular lattice.     

Design of high-Q cavities in 2D photonic crystals air holes filled with polymer

We design novel photonic crystal heterostructure, substituting the air in the holes with materials of refractive index higher than n = 1. This can be achieved by infiltrating the photonic crystal (PC) with polymer. We theoretically investigate the L₂ cavity with two missing holes in the center, where the six holes surrounding the cavity are locally filled with polymer. We show that cavity modes can be differently tuned depending on the size and the position of the first hole adjacent to the cavity. A photonic microcavity with a high Q factor of 5.5 × 10⁶ and a modal volume V of 0.1919 is demonstrated. We demonstrate that the calculated Q factor for the designed cavity increases by a factor of 22 relative to that for a cavity without displaced and reduced air holes, while the modal volume remains almost constant.     

Positioning photonic crystal cavities to single InAs quantum dots

We have investigated the optical properties of planar photonic crystal cavities formed by removing a single hole from a two-dimensional square lattice of air holes etched through a thin GaAs slab. We have demonstrated cavity resonances with quality factors (Q’s) as high as 8500, using an internal light source provided by an ensemble of InAs quantum dots (QDs) grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The high-Q modes are confined to a very small mode volume, V = 0.7(λ/n)³, making them attractive to study in the context of cavity quantum electrodynamics with single QDs, where a high is needed to observe the strong coupling between an electronic state of the dot and the optical cavity mode. To this end, we have developed an accurate and robust alignment technique that positions a photonic crystal cavity to a single QD with 25 nm resolution. We present the details of this new technology and demonstrate its effectiveness by strategically positioning a number of QDs within photonic crystal cavities at points where the electric field intensity is high.     

FDTD study of subwavelength imaging by a photonic crystal slab

The problem of subwavelength imaging via a photonic crystal slab lens made of two-dimensional (2D) square arrays of parallel dielectric cylinders in air is studied and discussed theoretically. The finite-difference time-domain method is employed to investigate the unique features of imaging by such lens. We confirm earlier findings that a photonic crystal slab lens can provide the imaging of a point source. By analysing the transmission properties of the proposed structure, we demonstrate that inside the all-angle negative refraction, there are some favourable directions for waves to travel. We show that the surface termination of the photonic crystal is a key parameter to obtain a good quality image. The super-resolution of two sources separated by a distance less than the wavelength is also considered. It is shown that the achievable resolution is limited by the slab length.     

基于宽度可调节的线缺陷平板型光子晶体的空气槽微腔

研究了一种空气槽光子晶体微腔,这种腔是由在平板型光子晶体上引入一条宽度可以调节的线缺陷空气槽形成的,腔模的电场被强烈局限在空气槽中,由于介电常量的不连续性,电场得到很大的提高,同时模体积被大大地降低.数值模拟与分析了微腔的能带结构和场分布,考虑到腔模的谐振频率和对称性,发现一阶偶膜同时具有较高的品质因子和较小的模体积;应用有限时域差分法,得到腔模的品质因子可以高达106,模体积仅为0.02(λ/n)3.计算了一阶偶模谐振波长随空气槽宽度以及空气孔半径的变化,发现随着宽度的增加,波长越来越短.而随着空气孔半径的增加,波长近似线性地减小;当空气孔半径为170 nm时,可以获得最高的腔品质因子.     

高效多信道光子晶体滤波器的设计与仿真

利用二维光子晶体仿真设计了四信道光滤波器.首先根据时域耦合模理论导出了实现100％信道耦合的条件;然后根据该条件设计了四信道滤波器,并利用时域有限差分法进行了仿真.仿真结果显示,四信道耦合效率均超过96％,当晶格常量取570 nm时,四信道的中心频率在1 520 nm到1 580 nm之间,信道间隔均小于20 nm,信道间窜扰很小.     

一种新型无色散慢光光子晶体薄板波导

利用椭圆形孔替代传统光子晶体薄板波导中邻接波导的最内层两排圆孔构成一种新型低损耗光子晶体薄板光波导.该波导的群速度和群速度色散特性强烈依赖于波导中这两排邻接波导的椭圆孔的特性.借助波导导模展开方法,计算得到波导的能带结构和群指数,并分析了它们与椭圆孔的参数关系.通过优化这些椭圆孔的参数,可以增加光子晶体光波导导模在光锥以下的无固有传输损耗带宽,在2—45 nm 的带宽上实现无色散的常数群速度.这些理论结果将为低损耗低色散慢光波导的设计制造提供理论基础. 关键词： 光子晶体薄板波导 群速度 群指数 群速度色散     

光子晶体表面结构的改变对成像的影响

负折射率材料因为其奇异的特性成为广泛研究的对象,尤其是光子晶体平板的完美成像.硅材料以其良好的物理性质成为当今集成光学领域中应用最广的材料之一.本文以硅介质柱在空气中周期性排列构成六角结构的光子晶体平板为例,运用平面波展开法进行光子晶体能带计算并运用时域有限差分法模拟改变光子晶体平板成像并讨论表面结构对成像的影响.光子晶体平板等效折射率为-1时,通过改变上下侧最外层介质柱的半径或是侧向移动最外层介质柱发现:当光子晶体平板表面结构发生改变时光子晶体平板仍能成像但像点强度发生变化.当光子晶体平板表面结构的改变在一定范围时,所成像的位置发生改变且位置变化符合光子晶体成像经典的Veselago关系;当光子晶体表面结构的变化超过该范围时,所成像与物的相位发生反相同时像点位置发生"巨变",此时Veselago关系已不成立.数值模拟表明:光子晶体平板表面结构的改变可以有效地改变该光子晶体平板所成像的强度、位置和相位.     

Disorders influences on the focusing effect of all-dielectric photonic crystal slab superlens

The influences of structure disorders on the subwavelength focusing properties of an all-dielectric photonic crystal slab superlens are theoretically studied. The structure disorders are considered as randomly perturbing the position or diameter of air holes of the photonic crystal slab. The results show that the photonic crystal slab superlens can tolerate within 10% degree of positional disorder or 15% degree of diameter disorder without destroying the focusing function.     

光子带隙光纤的可调谐泄漏损耗特性的研究

通过向折射率引导型光子晶体光纤的空气孔中填充可调的高折射率的材料可以获得带隙可调的光子带隙光纤.本文采用矢量平面波展开法与矢量有限元法对可调光子带隙光纤的泄漏损耗特性进行了理论研究.研究表明，这种可调光子带隙光纤的光子带隙效应使其泄漏损耗与填充材料的折射率有很强的依赖关系，同时给出了光子带隙光纤的泄漏损耗和群速度色散与归一化波长的关系.