Numerical modelling of optical trapping in hollow photonic crystal cavities

Photonic crystal (PhC) devices owing to their strong confinement of electromagnetic energy are considered to be excellent candidates for on chip optical trapping of dielectric or biological particles in the nanometer range. In this work, we study and present hollow PhC cavities and characterize them for their trapping stiffness, trapping stability and variation of resonance wavelength due to the presence of various sized single particles in the cavity.     

Ultra-compact graphene plasmonic filter integrated in a waveguide

Graphene plasmons have become promising candidates for deep-subwavelength nanoscale optical devices due to their strong field confinement and low damping. Among these nanoscale optical devices, band-pass filter for wavelength selection and noise filtering are key devices in an integrated optical circuit. However, plasmonic filters are still oversized because large resonant cavities are needed to perform frequency selection. Here, an ultra-compact filter integrated in a graphene plasmonic waveguide was designed, where a rectangular resonant cavity is inside a graphene nanoribbon waveguide. The properties of the filter were studied using the finite-difference time-domain method and demonstrated using the analytical model. The results demonstrate the band-pass filter has a high quality factor(20.36) and electrically tunable frequency response. The working frequency of the filter could also be tuned by modifying the cavity size. Our work provides a feasible structure for a graphene plasmonic nano-filter for future use in integrated optical circuits.     

All-optical switch based on photonic crystal microcavity with multi-resonant modes

We present a design of all-optical switches based on one-dimensional photonic crystals (1D PhC) doped with nonlinear optical materials. The 1D PhC switch structure is composed of a PhC cavity sandwiched by two accessional PhC microcavities. The center PhC cavity has two resonant frequencies with nearly the same quality factors (Q), while the accessional PhC cavities have the same resonant frequency, which is equal to one of the resonant frequencies of the center cavity. The two accessional PhC cavities cause reduction of Q value in this resonant frequency and result in different Q values of two modes. We realize all-optical switch effect by selecting pump light wavelength at the low Q mode and probe light wavelength at the other mode. The theoretical simulations by using the finite difference time domain method show that the pump light intensity required to realize optical switch effect in the designed switch is 50 times smaller than that in one-dimensional photonic crystals cavity with only one resonant mode.     

Modal selective tuning in a photonic crystal cavity

We present a way to selectively tune the properties of the degenerated modes confined in a single point defect two-dimensional photonic crystal cavity based on a triangular lattice of air holes. We investigate the dependence of the modal properties of the resonator on the position of the first neighbor holes, showing that it is possible to finely tune the resonant frequency of only one of these two modes and to increase the quality factor of the mode that has no frequency shift. This is achieved by controlling the wavevector components inside the cavity. This approach is a viable strategy for the development and the optimization of several innovative devices based on bi-modal cavity arrays, such as arrays of integrated optical filters and optical read-out sections for biosensing applications.     

Ultra‐low loss waveguide platform and its integration with silicon photonics

Planar waveguides with ultra‐low optical propagation loss enable a plethora of passive photonic integrated circuits, such as splitters and combiners, filters, delay lines, and components for advanced modulation formats. An overview is presented of the status of the field of ultra‐low loss waveguides and circuits, including the design, the trade‐off between bend radius and loss, and fabrication rationale. The characterization methods to accurately measure such waveguides are discussed. Some typical examples of device and circuit applications are presented. An even wider range of applications becomes possible with the integration of active devices, such as lasers, amplifiers, modulators and photodetectors, on such an ultra‐low loss waveguide platform. A summary of efforts to integrate silicon nitride and silica‐based low‐loss waveguides with silicon and III/V based photonics, either hybridly or heterogeneously, will be presented. The approach to combine these integration technologies heterogeneously on a single silicon substrate is discussed and an application example of a high‐bandwidth receiver is shown.     

Mode splitting and multiple-wavelength managements of surface plasmon polaritons in coupled cavities

Resonance cavity is a basic element in optics,which has wide applications in optical devices.Coupled cavities(CCs)designed in metal-insulator-metal(MIM)bus waveguide are investigated through the finite difference time domain method and coupled-mode theory.In the CCs,the resonant modes of the surface plasmon polaritons(SPPs)split with the thickness decreasing of the middle baffle.Through the coupled-mode theory analysis,it is found that the phase differences introduced in opposite and positive couplings between two cavities lead to mode splitting.The resonant wavelength of positive coupling mode can be tuned in a large range(about 644 nm)through adjusting the coupling strength,which is quite different from the classical adjustment of the optical path in a single cavity.Based on the resonances of the CCs in the MIM waveguide,more compact devices can be designed to manipulate SPPs propagation.A device is designed to realize flexible multiple-wavelength SPPs routing.The coupling in CC structures can be applied to the design of easy-integrated laser cavities,filters,multiple-wavelength management devices in SPPs circuits,nanosensors,etc.     

二维硅基平板光子晶体器件

硅材料在红外通讯波段具有低损耗和高折射率的特性,使得其成为集成光学领域中应用最广的材料之一.主要介绍了本课题组在二维硅基平板光子晶体中实现微纳尺度上光调控的研究进展,讨论了利用光子晶体的缺陷态实现各种集成光学器件,包括光子晶体波导、微腔和利用光子晶体波导和微腔形成的滤波器.还介绍了光子晶体中特殊的光折射现象,包括红外波...     

Reconfigurable photonic crystal circuits

We describe progress in the field of tuning, (re)configuration of Photonic crystal (PhC) based devices with a particular emphasis on our recent concepts and techniques that we have developed to tune and/or reconfigure the properties of photonic crystal nanocavities. We show how our hybrid approach based on photosensitive material and tapered silica fiber can tune the (Q, λ) properties of preexisting Photonic crystal cavities. We describe our alternative techniques to create ‘a posteriori’ spatially (re)configurable high‐Q cavities in a PhC platform. We show that optofluidics – the fusion of microfluidics with photonic devices – offers an unquestionable added value to the quest of a truly versatile, (re)configurable photonic crystal based photonic chip.     

Review of integrated optics

A tutorial introduction and a review are given of the field of integrated optics and optical guided-wave devices. Device principles and potential applications are discussed. The properties of dielectric waveguides are reviewed briefly and new materials and new fabrication techniques are mentioned. An illustration is given of recent work on devices. This includes a discussion of work on guided-wave modulators and switches with focus on devices made by titanium diffusion in lithium niobate. Mention is made of an experimental 4 × 4 switching network that was recently demonstrated in the laboratory. Other devices discussed are corrugated waveguide filters in which rejection bandwidths from 0.1 to 62% have been obtained. The paper concludes with a discussion of the use of guided-wave techniques in semiconductor junction lasers.     

Optical filter based on omnidirectional reflectors

Optical filters based on dielectric omnidirectional reflectors are theoretically analyzed both in the frequency domain and in time domain. It is shown that an optical filter can be made by drilling periodic air holes in a dielectric omnidirectional reflector. The filter’s optical properties can be controlled by varying the lattice constant and the radius of air holes without changing the reflector’s thickness. Thus different filters can be easily integrated in one reflector. This kind of filter is expected to be used in optical communication devices and vertical cavity surface emitting lasers. PACS 42.70.Qs; 42.79.Ci; 78.20.Bh     

Fabrication and demonstration of square lattice two-dimensional rod-type photonic bandgap crystal optical intersections

This paper reports fabrication and demonstration of optical intersections in two-dimensional (2D) rod-type photonic crystal (PhC) structures. High resolution and aspect ratio 2D square lattice PhC waveguide intersections were designed and fabricated for application at the optical communication wavelengths centered at 1550 nm. In the silicon processing front, challenges resolved to overcome issues of drastically reduced process windows caused by the dense PhC rods arrays with critical dimensions (CDs) reduced to only a few hundred nanometers were addressed not only in terms of critical process flow design but also in the development of each processing module. In the lithographic process of deep ultraviolet laser system working at 248 nm, PhC rods of sub-lithographic wavelength CDs (115 nm in radii) were realized in high resolution, even near periphery regions where proximity errors were prone. In the deep etching module, stringent requirements on etch angle control and low sidewall scallops (undulations arising from time multiplexed etch and passivation actions) were satisfied, to prevent catastrophic etch failures, and enable optical quality facets. The successfully fabricated PhCs were also monolithically integrated with large scale optical testing fiber grooves that enabled macro optical fiber assisted coupling to the micro scale PhC devices. In the optical experiments, the transmission and crosstalk properties for the PhC intersection devices with different rod radii at the center of the PhC optical waveguides crossings were measured with repeatability. The properties of the PhC intersections were therefore optimized and verified to correspond well with first principle finite difference time domain simulations.     

Modelling the excitation field of an optical resonator

Assuming the paraxial approximation, we derive efficient recursive expressions for the projection coefficients of a Gaussian beam over the Gauss--Hermite transverse electro-magnetic (TEM) modes of an optical cavity. While previous studies considered cavities with cylindrical symmetry, our derivation accounts for “simple” astigmatism and ellipticity, which allows to deal with more realistic optical systems. The resulting expansion of the Gaussian beam over the cavity TEM modes provides accurate simulation of the excitation field distribution inside the cavity, in transmission, and in reflection. In particular, this requires including counter-propagating TEM modes, usually neglected in textbooks. As an illustrative application to a complex case, we simulate reentrant cavity configurations where Herriott spots are obtained at cavity output. We show that the case of an astigmatic cavity is also easily modelled. To our knowledge, such relevant applications are usually treated under the simplified geometrical optics approximation, or using heavier numerical methods.     

耦合结构有机微腔的光致发光特性

耦合光学微腔(Coupled optical microcavity,CMC)是一种特殊结构的微腔,在耦合微腔中,两个独立的微腔相邻耦合在一起.通常一个腔是无源的,另一个腔是有源的.首次研究了有机材料在耦合微腔中的自发发射特性.实验采用的有机发光材料为八羟基喹啉铝Tris(8-quinolinolato)aluminium(Alq₃),器件的结构为Glass/DBR_A/Filler/DBR_B/Alq₃/DBR_C.底部腔是无源的,组成为DBR_A/Filler/DBR_B.顶部腔是有源的,由DBR_B/Alq₃/DBR_C构成.其中反射镜DBR_A、DBR_B、DBR_C以及填充层(Filler)均由光学介质材料构成.通过结构设计使两个腔的谐振波长均位于530nm.耦合微腔器件与单层Alq₃薄膜相比较,Alq₃薄膜的光致发光光谱是峰值位于511nm的宽谱带,而在耦合微腔器件中观察到的是具有两个腔模式,峰值波长分别位于518,553nm的增强并窄化的光谱.这是由于两个腔的光场耦合引起了腔模式分裂.结果表明耦合微腔能极大地改变有机材料的自发发射特性,可以用来提高器件的发光效率.     

The integrated prism interpretation of multileg Mach-Zehnder interferometers based on multimode interference couplers

To simplify the driving conditions as well as to improve the wavelength response of multileg Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZI) based on multimode interference (MMI) couplers we develop a new interpretation of these devices. Used for optical switching and for wavelength filtering, they are shown to work as active or passive integrated prisms. This analogy greatly facilitates the design of such components and simplifies the understanding of their functionality. The driving conditions of optical switches based on such multileg MZI are easility studied and will be reduced to basic active phase shifts. For wavelength filtering applications using such elements, a new design of the phased waveguide array is proposed which improves the characteristics of the filters.     

Multiple air-gap filters and constricted mesa lasers – material processing meets the front of optical device technology

Real three-dimensional material structures enable enormous perspectives in the functionality of advanced electronic and optoelectronic III/V semiconductor devices. We report on the technological implementation of surface-micromachined III/V semiconductor devices for optoelectronic applications. Considering fabrication technology, the general principles can be reduced to three fundamental process steps: deposition of a layered heterostructure on a substrate, vertical structurization and horizontal undercutting by selectively removing sacrificial layers. Very useful quality-control elements for precise process control are presented. The basic principles are applied and illustrated in detail by presenting two selected optoelectronic examples. (i) The fabrication technology of buried mushroom stripe lasers is shown. Bent waveguides on homogeneous grating fields are used to obtain chirped gratings, enabling a high potential to tailor specific performances. Excellent optical properties are obtained. (ii) The fabrication technology of vertical optical cavity based tunable single- or multi-membrane devices including air gaps is shown. Record optical tuning characteristics for vertical cavity Fabry–Pérot filters are presented. Single parametric wavelength tuning over 142 nm with an actuation voltage of only 3.2 V is demonstrated. PACS 85.60.-q; 87.80.Mj; 68.65.Ac     

Fano interference and transparency in a waveguide-nanocavity hybrid system with an auxiliary cavity

We investigate theoretically single photon transport in one-dimensional waveguide coupled to a pair of cavities, which are denoted by the first cavity and the auxiliary cavity. Two cases with no atom and one atom embedded in the first cavity are discussed. The Fano dips in the transmission spectrum and locations of transparency window are calculated. When no atom is embedded in the first cavity, there exists a transparency window under the condition that the first cavity and the auxiliary cavity are not resonant. The locations of the transparency window and Fano line type depend strongly on the eigen frequency of the auxiliary cavity and the coupling strength between the auxiliary cavity and the waveguide. When one atom is embedded in the first cavity, we show that the transparency window exists even though the first cavity, the atom and the auxiliary cavity are resonant. The Fano line type is strongly dependent on the eigen frequency of the auxiliary cavity and the coupling strength. Our results have potential applications in design of quantum devices at the level of single photon,such as single photon switch and single photon routers.     

Optoelectronic integration based on GaAs material

Optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEICs) in which both optoelectronic and electronic devices are monolithically integrated can exhibit various advantages in improving performance, functionality and reliability. This review concerns the development of OEICs based on GaAs systems. The requirements of integration include the development of devices having high performance and structures suitable for integration, and fabrication techniques for planar, process-compatible integrated structures. Superior devices such as low-threshold-current quantum-well (QW) lasers, planar-structure metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodiodes and the planar integration process have been developed, and these have been used to fabricate multichannel transmit- and receive-OEICs operating at gigabit rates. The applications of such OEICs have been demonstrated in high-speed optical links and 4×4 optical switches. The technological areas expected to be developed further are discussed in view of the future widespread applications of OEICs to communication and signal-processing systems.     

Nonlinear semiconductor lasers and amplifiers for all-optical information processing

The nonlinear properties of semiconductor lasers and laser amplifiers when subject to optical injection are reviewed and new results are presented for multisection lasers, vertical cavity semiconductor optical amplifiers, and surface-emitting lasers. The main underlying material parameters are outlined and the key design approaches are discussed for both edge-emitting and vertical cavity devices. An overview of theoretical modeling approaches is discussed and a summary of key experimental results is presented. The practical use of optically injected edge-emitting and vertical cavity semiconductor lasers and laser amplifiers is illustrated with examples of applications including, among others, optical logic and chaotic communication.     

Acceptance of Wider Oblique Angle of Incidence in Fabry-Perot Optical Filter/Modulator Structures via Index Compensation in InGaAs-GaAs (980 nm) and InGaAsP-InP (1.55 μm) Multiple Quantum Well Cavities

Fabry-Perot optical filters/modulators, consisting of an InGaAs-GaAs multiple quantum well (MQW) cavity, are shown to accept wider angle of incidence (12°) when the cavity index of refraction is compensated by an external electric field via the quantum confined Stark effect. Preliminary experimental data and simulation results on InGaAsP-InP MQW devices operating around 1.55 n are also discussed. This provides design flexibility over conventional high finesse Fabry-Perot cavities which do not accept an angle of incidence deviation of more than 2-5° from the normal.