Ultra-fast optical switches using 1D polymeric photonic crystals

We report fabrication of ultra-fast optical switches operated at a wavelength of 1064 nm using spin-coated one-dimensional polymeric photonic crystals doped with nonlinear-optical dyes. The optical switches are controlled either by an applied electric-field voltage or by a pump light by use of two different optical-configurations. The response time of the electro-optic switch and the all-optical switch are limited by the applied voltage and the laser used, respectively. The polymeric photonic crystals can be easily fabricated with low cost.     

An ultra-fast all-optical RS flip-flop based on nonlinear photonic crystal structures

In this paper, an all-optical RS flip-flop was proposed using nonlinear Kerr effect in photonic crystals. The proposed structure is composed of a core section and two optical switches. The core section consists of two cross-connected resonant cavities whose resonant mode are at wavelengths 1586 and 1620 nm. The cavities were designed such that the resonance of one cavity prevents the signal coupling through the other one. For designing the switch sections, a bias port was used to keep data when there is no input for the flip-flop. Therefore, when both input ports are inactive, the previous state of the flip-flop will be kept. Total footprint and maximum frequency of the proposed structure are obtained 361 μm² and 320 GHz, respectively.     

Demonstration of temperature resilient properties of 2D silicon carbide photonic crystal structures and cavity modes

In this paper, photonic crystal (PhC) based on two dimensional (2D) square and hexagonal lattice periodic arrays of Silicon Carbide (SiC) rods in air structure have been investigated using plane wave expansion (PWE) method. The PhC designs have been optimized for telecommunication wavelength (λ = 1.55 μm) by varying the radius of the rods and lattice constant. The result obtained shows that a photonic band gap (PBG) exists for TE-mode propagation. First, the effect of temperature on the width of the photonic band gap in the 2D SiC PhC structure has been investigated and compared with Silicon (Si) PhC. Further, a cavity has been created in the proposed SiC PhC and carried out temperature resiliency study of the defect modes. The dispersion relation for the TE mode of a point defect A1 cavity for both SiC and Si PhC has been plotted. Quality factor (Q) for both these structures have been calculated using finite difference time domain (FDTD) method and found a maximum Q value of 224 for SiC and 213 for Si PhC cavity structures. These analyses are important for fabricating novel PhC cavity designs that may find application in temperature resilient devices.     

光控液晶光子晶体微腔全光开关

设计了一种缺陷模迁移光子晶体微腔全光开关. 两条二维三角晶格空气孔光子晶体波导由一个光子晶体微腔连接, 在微腔的点缺陷中填充掺有少量偶氮聚合物的苯乙炔类液晶. 通过调节控制光的偏振态, 使偶氮聚合物发生顺-反异构化反应, 带动液晶分子重新取向, 从而改变光子晶体微腔的谐振波长, 进而实现光的通过与截止. 运用时域有限差分法和平面波展开法分析 了二维光控液晶光子晶体微腔全光开关的光学特性. 数值计算结果表明: 对于1.55 μ通信波段通过外界偏振光控制所填充的向列相液晶 的折射率可以实现对光波的导通与截止. 分析结果显示, 此开关具有阈值低, 消光比较大, 体积小等优点. 关键词： 二维光子晶体微腔 波导 时域有限差分(FDTD) 液晶     

Giant third-harmonic in porous silicon photonic crystals and microcavities

A giant enhancement (no less than by 10³) of the optical third-harmonic generation in one-dimensional porous silicon microcavities and photonic crystals was observed experimentally. The enhancement is due to the resonant enhancement of the fundamental field in the cavity mode and the fulfillment of the phase matching condition at the photonic band gap edges of the photonic crystal and in the vicinity of the microcavity mode.     

Photonic crystal cavities and integrated optical devices

This paper gives a brief introduction to our recent works on photonic crystal (PhC) cavities and related integrated optical structures and devices. Theoretical background and numerical methods for simulation of PhC cavities are first presented. Based on the theoretical basis, two relevant quantities, the cavity mode volume and the quality factor are discussed. Then the methods of fabrication and characterization of silicon PhC slab cavities are introduced. Several types of PhC cavities are presented, such as the usual L3 missing-hole cavity, the new concept waveguide-like parallel-hetero cavity, and the low-index nanobeam cavity. The advantages and disadvantages of each type of cavity are discussed. This will help the readers to decide which type of PhC cavities to use in particular applications. Furthermore, several integrated optical devices based on PhC cavities, such as optical filters, channel-drop filters, optical switches, and optical logic gates are described in both the working principle and operation characteristics. These devices designed and realized in our group demonstrate the wide range of applications of PhC cavities and offer possible solutions to some integrated optical problems.     

Designs of photonic crystal nanocavities for stimulated Raman scattering in diamond

Diamond is a good candidate for producing Raman laser due to its high first-order Raman gain coefficient. Since its Raman shift (~1,332.5 cm^?1) is large compared to other solid-state materials, it is possible to produce a Raman frequency converter using diamond crystals. Photonic crystals can be employed for confining photons within periodic structures, the scale of which is on the order of the incident wavelength, making it convenient for integrating all-optical circuits. Combining the merits of both diamond and photonic crystals, we present two designs of photonic crystal nanocavities (in hexagonal and square lattice structures) which can produce stimulated Raman lasing with low-threshold power. After optimizing the photonic bandgaps, triple resonant modes with high Q and small modal volume are realized in each design by tuning the radii of dot defects in the nanocavities. Numerical simulations show that for such designs, the threshold power for generating Raman lasers in the range of a few hundred nano-Watts can be achieved.     

Realizing mode conversion and optical diode effect by coupling photonic crystal waveguides with cavity

We propose a novel two-dimensional photonic crystal structure consisting of two line defect waveguides and a cavity to realize mode conversion based on the coupling effect. The W1/cavity/W2 structure breaks the spatial symmetry and successfully converts the even(odd) mode to the odd(even) mode in the W2 waveguide during the forward(backward)transmission. When considering the incidence of only the even mode, the optical diode effect emerges and achieves approximate 35 d B unidirectionality at the resonant frequency. Moreover, owing to the narrow bandpass feature and the flexibility of the tuning cavity, utilization of the proposed structure as a wavelength filter is demonstrated in a device with a Y-branch splitter. Here, we provide a heuristic design for a mode converter, optical diode, and wavelength filter derived from the coupling effect between a cavity and adjacent waveguides, and expect that the proposed structure can be applied as a building block in future all-optical integrated circuits.     

Specific features of the emission of chiral photonic crystals with an anisotropic defect: I. Thickness effects

The specific features of defect modes of chiral photonic crystals with an anisotropic defect have been investigated. Peculiarities of the spectra of polarization observables of the system under consideration are analyzed at different thicknesses of the defect layer. It is shown that single refraction occurs in a defect mode, even though the system is anisotropic and inhomogeneous. We also investigated the specific features of the spectra of the photon density of states, light intensity at the defect center, and the Q factor of defect modes at different thicknesses of the defect layer and chiral photonic crystals. It is shown that the lasing wavelength of chiral photonic crystals with an anisotropic defect enriched in laser dyes (resonant atoms) can be controlled in a different way: by varying the defect layer thickness. It is shown that this system can operate as a narrow-band filter (mirror) with a controlled frequency width and location of the total transmission (reflection) range on the frequency scale.     

光梯度力驱动的纳米硅基光开关

通过一道光改变另一道光的传输路线是光子集成网络中重要而长远的目标, 然而, 由于硅材料的光学非线性较弱, 在硅材料上实现开关的全光控制难以实现. 因此本文提出了一种由光梯度力驱动的纳米硅基光开关, 实现了硅基光开关的全光控制. 该光开关由一个部分悬空的微环谐振器和一个交叉波导结构构成, 当通入一道控制光时, 悬空的微环谐振器在光梯度力的作用下发生弯曲, 微环谐振器的谐振波长随之发生变化, 从而实现光信号的传输路线发生改变. 该光开关利用纳米光子制造技术在标准绝缘体上硅晶圆上制造, 实验数据得出其最小消光比为10.67 dB, 最大串扰为 -11.01 dB, 开关时间分别为180 ns和170 ns. 该光开关具有尺寸小, 响应速度快, 低损耗和可拓展等优点, 在片上集成光路、高速信号处理以及下一代光纤通信网络中具有潜在应用.     

Effective Mode Volume of Nanoscale Plasmon Cavities

The controlled squeezing of electromagnetic energy into nanometric volumes via surface plasmon-polariton excitations in plasmonic nanoresonators is analyzed using the concept of an effective electromagnetic mode volume V _eff, while taking careful account of the plasmon-polariton dispersion and the electromagnetic energy stored in the metal. Together with the quality factor Q of the cavity resonance, this enables a comparison with dielectric optical cavities, where V _eff is limited by diffraction. For a Fabry–Perot type planar metallic cavity, a one-dimensional analytic model as well as a three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain simulation reveal that V _eff is not bounded by diffraction, and that Q/V _eff increases for decreasing cavity size. In this picture, matter–plasmon interactions can be quantified in terms of Q and V _eff, and a resonant cavity model for the enhancement of spontaneous Raman scattering is presented.     

Cross-phase modulation in one-dimensional photonic crystals: applications to all-optical devices

We present a numerical study of a finite photonic band gap structure with a χ⁽³⁾ nonlinearity that couples two input pump beams at frequencies ω₁ and ω₂. We show that in this configuration a variety of all-optical devices can be obtained: an optical transistor, a double switch, and a dynamical switch.     

Ultrafast optical switching in Kerr nonlinear photonic crystals

Nonlinear photonic crystals made from polystyrene materials that have Kerr nonlinearity can exhibit ultrafast optical switching when the samples are pumped by ultrashort optical pulses with high intensity due to the change of the refractive index of polystyrene and subsequent shift of the band gap edge or defect state resonant frequency. Polystyrene has a large Kerr nonlinear susceptibility and almost instantaneous response to pump light, making it suitable for the realization of ultrafast optical switching with a response time as short as a few femtoseconds. In this paper, we review our experimental progress on the continual improvement of all-optical switching speed in two-dimensional and three-dimensional polystyrene nonlinear photonic crystals in the past years. Several relevant issues are discussed and analyzed, including different mechanisms for all-optical switching, preparation of nonlinear photonic crystal samples by means of microfabrication and self-assembly techniques, characterization of optical switching performance by means of femtosecond pump-probe technique, and different ways to lower the pump power of optical switching to facilitate practical applications in optical information processing. Finally, a brief summary and a perspective of future work are provided.     

Ultrafast optical switching in Kerr nonlinear photonic crystals

Nonlinear photonic crystals made from polystyrene materials that have Kerr nonlinearity can exhibit ultrafast optical switching when the samples are pumped by ultrashort optical pulses with high intensity due to the change of the refractive index of polystyrene and subsequent shift of the band gap edge or defect state resonant frequency. Polystyrene has a large Kerr nonlinear susceptibility and almost instantaneous response to pump light, making it suitable for the realization of ultrafast optical switching with a response time as short as a few femtoseconds. In this paper, we review our experimental progress on the continual improvement of all-optical switching speed in two-dimensional and three-dimensional polystyrene nonlinear photonic crystals in the past years. Several relevant issues are discussed and analyzed, including different mechanisms for all-optical switching, preparation of nonlinear photonic crystal samples by means of microfabrication and self-assembly techniques, characterization of optical switching performance by means of femtosecond pump-probe technique, and different ways to lower the pump power of optical switching to facilitate practical applications in optical information processing. Finally, a brief summary and a perspective of future work are provided.     

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.     

基于硅基光子器件的Fano共振研究进展

硅基光子技术的发展为新型微纳光学功能器件和片上系统提供了高可靠、高精度的实现手段.采用硅基光子技术构建的具有连续(准连续)模式微腔与离散模式的微腔耦合产生的Fano共振现象得到了广泛关注.Fano共振光谱在共振波长附近具有不对称且尖锐的谐振峰,传输光的强度在共振波长附近从0突变为1,该机制可显著提高硅基光开关、探测器、...     

Nearly Perfect Spin Conversion Based on Topological Singularity in 1D Anisotropic Photonic Crystals

Although the spin-controlled vortex generation and photonic spin-Hall effect of spin-flipped abnormal mode have been widely studied recently, the traditional method based on the metasurface is difficult to fabricate, and the efficiency of the spin-flipped abnormal mode is rather low due to process errors and intrinsic material loss. Here, a new method is proposed based on the insights into the topological singularity and special Bragger reflections resonant (BRR) mode of one-dimensional (1D) finite photonic crystals (PhCs) with anisotropic material to realize nearly perfect (100%) spin-conversion efficiency. For a finite 1D PhC with cell number N, there are 3N complete spin-conversion (CSC) and complete spin-maintained (CSM) channels. Two mechanisms of these CSC and CSM channels are revealed. The working bandwidths and the angular ranges of these CSC and CSM are also studied. Based on these theoretical findings, multi-angles and multi-frequencies perfect spin-conversion (-maintained) devices can be designed. At last, these theoretical results are confirmed by the numerical experiments based on finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) methods. This work paves the way to exploring the topological properties and polarization control of PhCs made of anisotropic dielectrics and provides a prospective method for the design of multi-channels spin optical devices.     

Ultra-fast all-optical switching in MEH-PPV photonic crystals with resonantly enhanced nonlinearity

Photonic crystal all-optical switching is realized in two-dimensional nonlinear photonic crystals made of poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene]. Organic polymer films are fabricated by a slow evaporation method. Under resonant excitation, the organic matrix provides very large third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility. An operating pump energy as low as 514 pJ/cm² and a high switching efficiency of 70% are achieved for the photonic crystal optical switching. A switching time of 45.6 ps is maintained due to fast Forster transfer of excitons.     

一种紧凑的、可调的、基于缺陷共振的光开关

采用平面波展开法(PWM)和时域有限差分(FDTD)法,研究光在含点缺陷的光子晶体波导中的传输特性.计算结果表明,通过引入两共振腔(点缺陷),处于共振频率附近的光波将被完全反射回光子晶体波导.由于共振频率随点缺陷的折射率的变化而改变,这种现象可用来设计可调光开关. 关键词： 光子晶体波导 缺陷共振 光开关 透射率     

Investigations of laser oscillation and switching using a resonance at the band edge crossover in an hetero-structure of one-dimensional photonic crystals

This paper presents a theoretical investigation of a laser oscillator and a laser switch, using a hetero-structure made of two one-dimensional photonic crystals with active materials and a period ratio of r (r > 1). Lasing is achieved near frequencies where the upper and lower band edges of the adjacent photonic crystals overlap (i.e., band edge resonance). Near the band edge resonance, two modes of laser oscillations are found; mode A – the threshold gain increases with r and mode B – the threshold gain decreases with r. By assuming a homogenously broadened gain medium at any particular r, only one of the two modes is able to participate in lasing. We also found the lasing mode is switchable upon a very small alteration in the refractive index of the materials present in the photonic crystal. The results of the paper will be very useful for designing a new class of tunable lasers and high sensitivity sensors.