Integration of 2D photonic crystals with ridge waveguide lasers

2D triangular photonic crystals (PCs) have been integrated as laser mirrors in electrically pumped InGaAs/AlGaAs ridge waveguide lasers. The investigated PC lattice constants range from 160 to 400 nm with light incident along both main symmetry directions M and K. The observed cw laser performance is strongly dependent on both orientation and period of the PC. This behaviour is discussed using a 2D transfer matrix calculation of the PC reflectivity. As a demonstrator device relying on the 2D light confining properties of the PC, an active beamsplitter with a bending radius of 5 m is presented. Here, the PC is successfully used as cladding material in the S-bent regions of the ridge waveguide, significantly reducing the bending loss.     

Photonic crystal slotted slab waveguides

We report on the fabrication of photonic crystal waveguides in SOI that comprise an air-slot in the centre. The slot serves to confine suitably polarised optical radiation (H-polarisation) and due to its small size, provides extremely high field intensity values out with the high index material. Adding the photonic crystal environment then provides full control over the dispersive properties of this waveguide. We demonstrate the successful operation of this structure experimentally and explain its key features.     

A compact wavelength division de-multiplexer based on directional coupling of one-dimensional photonic crystal waveguides

A fundamental dual-channel wavelength division de-multiplexer (WDDM) based on directional coupling of one-dimensional photonic crystal waveguides is presented, and its transmission characteristics of the WDDM are investigated by using finite-difference time-domain method. Calculated results indicate that for this WDDM, without any structural optimization, a high transmittance of more than 95% is observed at output ports. Combining the fundamental dual-channel WDDM with flexible bends of one-dimensional photonic crystal waveguides, we construct a simple and compact four-channel WDDM. Those WDDMs are expected to be applied to highly dense photonic integrated circuits.     

Issues when designing hypoellipse photonic crystal waveguides

This work designs a type of line-defect photonic crystal waveguide (PCW) called hypoellipse PCW (HPCW) that considers two conflicting issues: group index and bandwidth. To do so, the recent multi objective framework called MoMIR is employed. A wide range of designs obtained demonstrates the advantage of considering group index and bandwidth simultaneously when designing HPCWs. Comparison of the proposed HPCW with the current best PCWs shows a nearly 7% improvement over the latter in terms of normalized delay-bandwidth product (NDBP). Analysis of the results reveals some of the physical rules about the structure of the HPCW. Finally, optical pulse propagation in obtained HPCWs and the process of designing an optical buffer by using an obtained design are explained.     

Transmission properties of two-dimensional photonic crystal channel waveguides

We study the transmission properties of straight channel waveguides designed in a two- dimensional (2D) photonic crystal patterned into an AlGaAs heterostructure. 2D dispersion calculations show the existence of small gaps occurring along the dispersion branch of the fundamental mode. We show that their location agree very well with mini-stop bands observed on the transmission spectra.     

Design of tunable surface mode waveguide based on photonic crystal composite structure using organic liquid

With the method of replacing the surface layer of photonic crystal with tubes, a novel photonic crystal composite structure used as a tunable surface mode waveguide is designed. The tubes support tunable surface states. The tunable propagation capabilities of the structure are investigated by using the finite-difference time-domain. Simulation results show that the beam transmission distributions of the composite structure are sensitive to the frequency range of incident light and the surface morphology which can be modified by filling the tubes with different organic liquids. By adjusting the filler in tubes, the T-shaped, Y-shaped, and L-shaped propagations can be realized. The property can be applied to the tunable surface mode waveguide. Compared with a traditional single function photonic crystal waveguide, our designed structure not only has a small size, but also is a tunable device.     

二维介质柱光子晶体波导吸收边界条件

设计优化了用于截断二维正方格子介质柱光子晶体波导的分布布拉格反射波导的结构.二维时域有限差分数值模拟结果显示，在上述两种波导联接处的反射系数可以在大部分光子晶体波导导波的频谱范围内降到1％以下.将这种分布布拉格反射波导和通常的吸收边界条件相结合可以构成用于光子晶体波导的吸收边界条件，其反射率可以降低到-40dB以下，吸收层的厚度可取为晶格长度的1.3倍. 关键词： 吸收边界条件 光子晶体波导 时域有限差分     

Numerical characterization of nanopillar photonic crystal waveguides and directional couplers

We numerically characterize a novel type of a photonic crystal waveguide, which consists of several rows of periodically arranged dielectric cylinders. In such a nanopillar photonic crystal waveguide, light confinement is due to the total internal reflection. A nanopillar waveguide is a multimode waveguide, where the number of modes is equal to the number of rows building the waveguide. The strong coupling between individual waveguides leads to the proposal of an ultrashort directional coupler based on nanopillar waveguides. We present a systematic analysis of the dispersion and transmission efficiency of nanopillar photonic crystal waveguides and directional couplers. Plane wave expansion and finite difference time domain methods were used to characterize numerically nanopillar photonic crystal structures both in two- and three-dimensional spaces.     

Design and optimization of 2D photonic crystal waveguides based on silicon

The existence and properties of photonic band gaps was investigated for a square lattice of dielectric cylinders in air. Band structure calculations were performed using the transfer matrix method as function of the dielectric constant of the cylinders and the cylinder radius-to-pitch ratio r/a. It was found that band gaps exist only for transverse magnetic polarization for a dielectric contrast larger then 3.8 (index contrast >1.95). The optimum r/a ratio is 0.25 for the smallest index contrast. For silicon cylinders (n = 3.45) the widest gap is observed for r/a = 0.18. Band structure calculations as function of r/a show that up to four gaps open for the silicon structure. The effective index was obtained from the band structure calculations and compared with Maxwell–Garnett effective medium theory. Using the band structure calculations we obtained design parameters for silicon based photonic crystal waveguides. The possibility and limitations of amorphous silicon, silicon germanium and silicon-on-insulator structures to achieve index guiding in the third dimension is discussed.     

Finite-depth and intrinsic losses in vertically etched two-dimensional photonic crystals

We address the issue of out-of-plane losses in two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystals (PC) etched through a GaAs monomode waveguide clad with standard GaAlAs alloys. We correlate experimental transmission of PCs with two kinds of loss simulation results. The first kind is 2D and introduces an ad hoc imaginary index in the air holes to account for the losses [see (Benisty et al. Appl. Phys. Lett. 76, 532, 2000)]. The second kind is a novel exact three-dimensional calculation inspired by grating-Fourier analysis that provides quantitatively unprecedented agreement with experimental measurements taking into account hole depth as a limiting parameter. We conclude that, in revision to the conclusions of the above reference, the experimental losses are not the intrinsic ones, being larger by a factor of 5 to 10 due to insufficient hole depth. The transition occurs at a critical etch depth shown to be here around 700 nm. We thus predict, for holes deeper than 700 nm, much improved crystals with very low transmission losses and microresonators with ultra-high quality factors.     

蓝紫光氮化镓光子晶体面射型激光器

设计、制作了蓝紫光氮化镓光子晶体面射型激光器结构,并测量其光学性质,探讨了光子晶体的晶格常数、边界形状及晶格种类对激光器特性的影响。激光器结构采用有机金属化学气相沉积法配合电子束光刻及感应耦合等离子体干蚀刻等技术制作。由角度解析光致发光系统测得绕射图案、激光发射光谱及发散角等光学性质。同时,使用平面波展开法及多重散射法计算光子晶体的能带结构与阈值增益。由实验结果得出,可由改变光子晶体的晶格常数达到调变激光器操作模态的目的。此外,光子晶体的边界形状对激光器波长及半高宽并无显著的影响,但圆形边界的阈值激发能量密度比六角形边界低0.3 mJ/cm²。另一方面,将六角晶格、四角晶格与蜂巢晶格的晶格种类进行比较,蜂巢晶格具有较小的激发能量密度（1.6 mJ/cm²）及发散角（1.3°）,而四角晶格的激发能量密度（3.8 mJ/cm²）及发散角（2.2°）为三者之中最大。多重散射法求得的阈值增益与实验结果相吻合,可视为快速有效设计光子晶体激光器结构的工具。本文研究成果对今后发展高功率蓝紫光氮化镓光子晶体面射型激光器具有指导意义。     

光子晶体垂直腔面发射激光器的电流分布研究

对氧化限制型外腔式光子晶体垂直腔面发射激光器注入到有源区的电流密度分布进行了分析研究.提出三维电流分布计算模型,研究了光子晶体结构对电流密度分布和器件串联电阻的影响.研究发现,光子晶体孔刻蚀深度越深,电流分布圆对称性越差,引起的串联电阻越大.不同光子晶体图案对电流分布的均匀性和圆对称性也有很大的影响.该模型对于研究、设计氧化限制型外腔式光子晶体垂直腔面发射激光器提供了一个有用的分析方法.     

基于六角格子光子晶体波导的高效全光二极管设计

提出了一种基于六角格子光子晶体波导微腔和Fabry-Perot(FP)腔非对称耦合的全光二极管结构, 它由一个包含非线性Kerr介质的高Q值微腔与一个光子晶体波导中的FP腔组成. 通过有限时域差分方法对其传输特性进行了仿真, 发现通过两腔的非对称耦合可以实现在特定光强度下的正向传输、反向截止的功能. 在靠近微腔方向光入射时, 特定强度的光可以激发非线性微腔的Kerr效应, 改变了Fano腔的共振频率, 从而变成透射状态. 而远离微腔方向光入射, 由于这个不对称的结构造成场局域的分布不对称, 激发微腔Kerr效应的光强还不够, 所以光不能透射. 所设计的全光二极管结构具有良好的性能参数: 最大透射率高和高透射比、光强阈值低和易于集成等.     

Improved high birefringence photonic crystal fibres with dispersion flattened and single mode operation

A kind of improved high birefringence photonic crystal fibre (PCF) is proposed in this paper. The characteristics of birefringence, dispersion and leakage loss are studied by the multipole method. Numerical results show that the improved PCF possesses the properties of a flat dispersion and single mode operation. Moreover, with the operating wavelength λ = 1.55μm, the modal birefringence increases greatly in comparison with that of the original PCF, and the leakage loss is about 10⁴ times smaller than that of the original PCF because the modification gives rise to the strong confinement of guided modes. It is expected that the improved PCF can be used as high birefringence and dispersion flattened fibres.     

Slow light engineering in polyatomic photonic crystal waveguides based on square lattice

In this paper, the slow light properties of the polyatomic Photonic Crystal (PhC) which has multiple different air holes in each primitive cell are investigated. A slow light waveguide with “U-type” group index-frequency curve, which results in nearly constant group index over large bandwidth, is achieved using this new photonic crystal geometry based on the square lattice. Also, the radius and position of the innermost rows of small air holes have been modified to investigate the feasibility of controlling the dispersion relation by subtle structural modification. Numerical results demonstrate that decreasing the group velocity effectively and meanwhile maintaining a large Normalized Delay-Bandwidth Product (NDBP) can be achieved by only modifying the radius of the innermost rows of small air holes. Shifting the innermost rows of small air holes toward the waveguide core is highly beneficial to enlarge the slow light bandwidth, but it contributes nothing to the promotion of NDBP. Our results provide important theoretical basis for the potential application offered by the polyatomic photonic crystal in future optical networks.     

Ultrafast photonic crystal lasers

We describe recent progress in photonic crystal nanocavity lasers with an emphasis on our recent results on ultrafast pulse generation. These lasers produce pulses on the picosecond scale, corresponding to only hundreds of optical cycles. We describe laser dynamics in optically pumped single cavities and in coupled cavity arrays, at low and room temperature. Such ultrafast, efficient, and compact lasers show great promise for applications in high‐speed communications, information processing, and on‐chip optical interconnects.     

A compact in-plane photonic crystal channel drop filter

This paper presents a novel in-plane photonic crystal channel drop filter.The device is composed of a resonant cavity sandwiched by two parallel waveguides.The cavity has two resonant modes with opposite symmetries.Tuning these two modes into degeneracy causes destructive interference in bus waveguide,which results in high forward drop efficiency at the resonant wavelength.From the result of numerical analysis by using two-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method,the channel drop filter has a drop efficiency of 96% and a Q value of over 3000,which can be used in dense wavelength division multiplexing systems.     

Improved bends for two-dimensional photonic crystal waveguides

For two-dimensional photonic crystals involving infinitely long dielectric rods or air-holes on square or triangular lattices, a number of high performance 60° and 90° waveguide bends are obtained by solving optimization problems involving the radii of a few rods or air-holes as the degrees of freedom. In particular, the proposed 60° bends significantly outperform previous designs that insert three or five identical air-holes in the bend. The optimization problems are solved using a recently developed method based on the so-called Dirichlet-to-Neumann (DtN) maps of the unit cells.     

光子晶体波导对垂直腔面发射激光器光束远场形貌的调控

研究了光子晶体波导对垂直腔面发射激光器(VCSEL)光束远场形貌的调控.采用三层对称平板波导模型分析了影响光子晶体VCSEL(PC-VCSEL)远场发散角的参数.研究表明,PC-VCSEL中光子晶体的填充比(空气孔直径和光子晶体周期的比值)以及空气孔的刻蚀深度控制了光束的发散角,低填充比和浅刻蚀的PC-VCSEL有利于获得低发散角的光束.设计并制作了两种不同结构参数的PC-VCSEL,这两种器件中光子晶体的填充比和空气孔的刻蚀深度不同.实验结果表明,低填充比和浅刻蚀的PC-VCSEL的发散角更低,与理论分析符合得很好.     

Finite element modal solutions of planar photonic crystal fibers with rectangular air-holes

Modal solutions of planar photonic crystal waveguides with rectangular air-holes are presented by using a rigorous full-vectorial finite element-based approach. The effective indices, mode field profiles, spot-sizes, power confinements, modal hybridness, beat lengths and group velocity dispersions are shown for the fundamental and higher order modes of the quasi-TE and TM polarizations.