Anisotropy of light propagation in thin opal films

Thin opal films are prepared by crystallization in a moving meniscus, and their optical transmission spectra are recorded in polarized light and studied. It is shown that the anisotropy of light propagation in the films is unambiguously related to the photonic band structure of opal and depends on the angle of incidence, the orientation of the incidence plane with respect to the opal lattice, and the wavelength and polarization of the incident light. Azimuthal diagrams of transmitted polarized light are constructed in the range of photonic band gaps of three orders for oblique incidence of a light beam. The anisotropy is found to vary with the light wave-length independently in perpendicular polarizations. A model of the band structure of opal wherein opal is represented as an fcc lattice of close-packed spheres adequately describes the optical transmission of opal films only in the range of the first-order photonic band gap.     

Diatoms as living photonic crystals

We present an analysis of the optical structure of a representative diatom, Coscinodiscus granii. The silica cell wall can be regarded as a photonic crystal slab waveguide with moderate refractive-index contrast. In a cell, at least two different patterns are found: a hexagonal array of pores with a large lattice constant in the valve, and a square array of holes with a small lattice constant in the girdle. It is demonstrated that light can be coupled into the waveguide and that there are some photonic resonances in the visible spectral range, which have been determined by band-structure calculations. PACS 42.70.Qs; 87.17.-d     

Polarization anisotropy of optical transmission in opals and Langmuir-Blodgett crystals

The transmission spectra of thin-film colloidal photonic crystals with three-dimensional and one-dimensional-two-dimensional photonic energy band structures, i.e., opals and Langmuir-Blodgett crystals with a refractive index contrast of ∼1.5: 1.0, have been measured in linearly polarized light. It has been demonstrated that the polarization anisotropy in the light transmitted through the crystal is uniquely related to the diffraction resonance and that the degree of polarization can exceed 90%. A higher degree of polarization is provided by lattices that are characterized by a smaller attenuation of light polarized in the plane of incidence. It has been revealed that the diffraction resonances from the crystal planes for which the dispersions are in anticrossing with the dispersion of the growth planes acquire the same anisotropy. The general character of the results obtained has been confirmed by the fact that the polarization anisotropy identically manifests itself in colloidal crystals that have different symmetries and lattice orderings.     

二维三角晶格光子晶体波导的出射光集束传播

为了解决光子晶体波导出射端光场控制, 同时解决二维三角晶格光子晶体波导出射光辐射困难的问题。利用二维三角晶格光子晶体设计了一种新型光子晶体波导出射口结构。在二维三角晶格光子晶体波导出射端引入两个微腔, 通过光波与微腔发生共振, 形成类似于三个点光源干涉的出射光, 同时进一步提出波导出射端喇叭口干涉出射光定向辐射的设计。通过这种微腔喇叭口设计, 利用时域有限差分法分析结果表明光波实现很好的定向辐射, 并且辐射距离显著提高。     

Waveguide plasmon polaritons in metal-dielectric photonic crystal slabs

The optical properties of arrays of metallic (gold) nanowires deposited on dielectric substrates are studied both theoretically and experimentally. Depending on the substrate, Wood’s anomalies of two types are observed in the transmission spectra of such planar metal-dielectric photonic crystals. One of them is diffraction (Rayleigh) anomalies associated with the opening of diffraction channels to the substrate or air with an increase in the frequency of the incident light. The other type of Wood’s anomaly is resonance anomalies associated with excitation of surface quasi-guided modes in the substrate. Coupling of the quasi-guided modes with individual nanowire plasmons brings about the formation of waveguide plasmon polaritons. This effect is accompanied by a strong rearrangement of the optical spectrum and can be utilized to control the photonic bands of metal-dielectric photonic crystal slabs.     

Spectroscopy of the photonic stop band in synthetic opals

The photonic band gap of opals has been studied experimentally from their optical transmission spectra as a function of the incident beam orientation in the opal crystal lattice. The measurements were carried out for all high-symmetry points on the surface of the Brillouin zone of an fcc lattice. The experimental dependence of the energy position of the photonic band gap on the light wave vector direction is well described by the set of theoretical relations developed for the stop bands originating from the Bragg diffraction of light on {111}-type planes of the twinned fcc lattice of synthetic opals.     

液晶-金属光子晶体波导的光学特性

运用时域有限差分方法分析了二维液晶-金属光子晶体波导的光学特性。二维正方晶格金属光子晶体波导位于两个电极之间,其背景介质为液晶。通过在电极上施加不同电压,电场诱导液晶取向以改变液晶的折射指数从而改变光子晶体的带隙结构。数值计算结果表明:通过外界电场控制所填充的向列相液晶的方向可以对这种金属光子晶体波导的光学特性进行调节,该波导可用于制作光子晶体光开关等光学器件。     

Observation of unconventional optical diffraction in <Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis>-Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>/Si two-dimensional photonic crystal slab fabricated by sol-gel method

The α-Fe₂O₃/Si two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystal (PC) with hexagonal honeycomb structure was fabricated by self-assembly and solution-dipping method based on colloidal monolayer template with 780 and 470 nm diameter polystyrene (PS) spheres. Optical diffraction measurement was carried out under wavelengths of 800, 532 and 400 nm. An interesting dispersion phenomenon with a hexagonal diffraction pattern composed of six elliptical spots is observed under specific wavelengths. Both theoretical and experimental calculations reveal that the diffraction can only occur when the incident wavelength is smaller than \(\sqrt{3}/2\) of lattice constant, and both the shape and distribution of these spots can be modified by the PC lattice constant and the incident wavelength. All these results reveal that optical properties of these 2D PC slabs are different from conventional diffractive devices.     

Transmission characteristics simulation of an erbium-doped lithium niobate film photonic crystal slab

A photonic crystal slab (PhC slab) which was constructed as a 2D hexagonal lattice with a finite depth was etched into an Er:LiNbO₃ film waveguide. The band diagrams and transmission spectra were simulated by plane wave expansion (PWE) and the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. A high refractive index contrast of 0.5 enables strong light confinement in the vertical direction and a broad band gap. The simulated transmittance spectra indicate that the stop band is determined by lattice constant. The transmission spectra along ΓM of the PhC slab with a lattice constant 500 nm show a 250-nm broad stop band in the wavelength range from 1.33 to 1.58 μm and sharp band edge.     

Experimental study of the photonic band structure of synthetic opals at a low dielectric contrast

This paper reports on a comprehensive study of optical transmissivity spectra of synthetic opals as a function of the four major parameters of the observed photonic stop bands, namely, light beam orientation relative to the opal fcc lattice, light polarization, opal-filler dielectric permittivity contrast, and sample thickness. The measurements were performed under low opal-filler dielectric contrast conditions for the principal high-symmetry directions of the twinned fcc lattice of the opals. The experimentally determined dependence of the energy positions of photonic stop bands on the direction of the light wave vector is fitted well by the calculated dispersion relation of Bragg wavelengths in diffraction of light from the (hkl) fcc plane system.     

Nonlinear performance in silicon nitride slow light photonic crystal waveguides with elliptical holes

We propose a slow-light photonic crystal waveguide, which uses a combination of circular and elliptical air holes arranged in a hexagonal lattice with the background material of silicon nitride (refractive index n = 2.06). Large value of normalized delay bandwidth product (NDBP = 0.3708) is obtained. We have analyzed nonlinear performance of the structure. With our proposed geometry strong SPM is observed at moderate peak power levels. Proposed photonic crystal waveguide has slow light applications such as reduction in length and power consumption of all-optical and electro-optic switches at optical frequency.     

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     

Electrically controlled waveguide mode in LC layer for fiber optic applications

A new electrically controlled waveguide mode for optical beams propagating in the plane of a liquid crystal (LC) layer is described. The mode is based on the total internal reflection of light beams from two parallel boundaries, which separates the regions of a liquid crystal cell with different director orientations and refractive indices. In experiments electric field was applied to the initially planar layer to produce the channel with a homeotropic orientation surrounded by the planar regions. It results in focusing and waveguide propagation of a light beam emitted by an optical fiber inserted in a liquid crystal cell. Scattering of light by thermal LC director fluctuations is used to visualize light beams propagation. The obtained waveguide mode can be used for an elaboration of electrically controlled LC switches with low operating voltages. The prototype of such device made with usage of a photolithography and a photo alignment technique is described. The possible ways of optimization of LC-switch are considered.     

Enhanced third harmonic reflection and diffraction in Silicon on Insulator photonic waveguides

Enhanced third harmonic (TH) generation from Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) planar waveguides as well as SOI photonic crystal (PhC) slabs is studied in different angular configurations, both in the visible and infrared energy ranges. In the SOI planar waveguide, the multilayer structure causes the optical properties such as TH reflection to be different from those of bulk silicon samples. This behavior is well reproduced by calculations of TH reflectance.Measurements of third-harmonic reflection and diffraction from one-dimensional PhC slabs etched in the SOI waveguide are also reported. The angular positions of TH peaks at various diffraction orders agree well with those calculated from a nonlinear grating equation. Both reflection and diffraction processes contribute to enhanced TH generation efficiency in the PhC slabs.TH reflectance measurements performed on PhC slabs in the near infrared show a resonant interaction between the incident beam and the photonic structure, dependent on the angle of incidence. This leads to a nonlinear conversion efficiency which is strongly enhanced with respect to that of the SOI waveguide, due to the excitation of strong local fields associated with the presence of photonic modes in the PhC slab.     

Novel spatial solitons in light-induced photonic bandgap structures

The study of wave propagation in periodic systems is at the frontiers of physics, from fluids to condensed matter physics, and from photonic crystals to Bose-Einstein condensates. In optics, a typical example of periodic system is a closely-spaced waveguide array, in which collective behavior of wave propagation exhibits many intriguing phenomena that have no counterpart in homogeneous media. Even in a linear waveguide array, the diffraction property of a light beam changes due to evanescent coupling between nearby waveguide sites, leading to normal and anomalous discrete diffraction. In a nonlinear waveguide array, a balance between diffraction and self-action gives rise to novel localized states such as spatial “discrete solitons” in the semi-infinite (or total-internal-reflection) gap or spatial “gap solitons” in the Bragg reflection gaps. Recently, in a series of experiments, we have “fabricated” closely-spaced waveguide arrays (photonic lattices) by optical induction. Such photonic structures have attracted great interest due to their novel physics, link to photonic crystals, as well as potential applications in optical switching and navigation. In this review article, we present a brief overview on our experimental demonstrations of a number of novel spatial soliton phenomena in light-induced photonic bandgap structures, including self-trapping of fundamental discrete solitons and more sophisticated lattice gap solitons. Much of our work has direct impact on the study of similar discrete phenomena in systems beyond optics, including sound waves, water waves, and matter waves (Bose-Einstein condensates) propagating in periodic potentials.     

Novel spatial solitons in light-induced photonic bandgap structures

The study of wave propagation in periodic systems is at the frontiers of physics, from fluids to condensed matter physics, and from photonic crystals to Bose-Einstein condensates. In optics, a typical example of periodic system is a closely-spaced waveguide array, in which collective behavior of wave propagation exhibits many intriguing phenomena that have no counterpart in homogeneous media. Even in a linear waveguide array, the diffraction property of a light beam changes due to evanescent coupling between nearby waveguide sites, leading to normal and anomalous discrete diffraction. In a nonlinear waveguide array, a balance between diffraction and self-action gives rise to novel localized states such as spatial “discrete solitons” in the semi-infinite (or total-internal-reflection) gap or spatial “gap solitons” in the Bragg reflection gaps. Recently, in a series of experiments, we have “fabricated” closely-spaced waveguide arrays (photonic lattices) by optical induction. Such photonic structures have attracted great interest due to their novel physics, link to photonic crystals, as well as potential applications in optical switching and navigation. In this review article, we present a brief overview on our experimental demonstrations of a number of novel spatial soliton phenomena in light-induced photonic bandgap structures, including self-trapping of fundamental discrete solitons and more sophisticated lattice gap solitons. Much of our work has direct impact on the study of similar discrete phenomena in systems beyond optics, including sound waves, water waves, and matter waves (Bose-Einstein condensates) propagating in periodic potentials.      

Optimized focusing properties of photonic crystal slabs

We propose an optimization procedure for focusing operation in finite two dimensional photonic crystal slabs. The device consists of a triangular lattice air holes etched in a semiconductor matrix at a nanometer scale to operate at 1.55 μm. To reach simultaneously an effective refractive index equal to −1 along with a very high transmission coefficient whatever optical wave incidence, the parameters as the lattice period and/or filling factor are precisely adjusted depending on the slab thickness. The method relies on Fabry-Perot resonances engineering in the air/crystal/air cavity constituting the lens.     

Defect modes in photonic crystal slabs studied using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

We describe broadband coherent transmission studies of two-dimensional photonic crystals consisting of a hexagonal array of air holes in a dielectric slab in a planar waveguide. By filling several of the air holes in the photonic crystal slab, we observe the signature of a defect mode within the stop band, in both the amplitude and phase spectra. The experimental results are in reasonable agreement with theoretical calculations using the transfer matrix method.     

Effect of dimensionality on the spectra of hybrid plasmonic-photonic crystals

Based on colloidal crystals of various dimensionality, hybrid metal-dielectric plasmonic-photonic heterocrystals have been prepared. It has been shown that the spectra of optical transmission of heterocrystals are mostly controlled by the sum of contributions of composing plasmonic and photonic crystals. At the same time, there are a number of phenomena caused by the mutual effect of heterostructure components, which lead to a deviation of observed optical properties from the linear superposition of responses of these crystals. In particular, it has been found that the anomalous transmission controlled by the plasmonic crystal decreases with increasing the dimensionality of the photonic crystal attached to it. At the same time, light reflection on a metallized surface changes light diffraction in photonic crystals and leads to Fabry-Perot oscillation amplification. It has been assumed that an intermediate layer is formed, in which Bloch modes of the photonic crystal and surface plasmon-polaritons of the plasmonic crystal are hybridized.     

高透射率慢光速的光子晶体耦合腔波导的研究

将二维三角晶格光子晶体波导和微腔结构结合,优化设计了一种二维三角晶格光子晶体共振耦合腔波导,运用时域有限差分法(FDTD)模拟共振耦合腔波导TE偏振光的透射谱,通过透射谱得到传输光的透射率和群速度。结果表明,合适参数的二维三角晶格共振耦合腔波导在波长1.551μm处的群速度为c/130、透射率为20.1%,在波长1.502μm处的群速度为c/50、透射率为29.2%。运用平面波展开法(PWE)计算的该波导的能带结构对慢光特性进行了分析。这种慢光特性的光子晶体波导将在光存储、光延迟及光子集成等方面有潜在的应用价值。