Absolute photonic band gaps in a two-dimensional photonic crystal with hollow anisotropic rods

The plane-wave expansion method is used to calculate photonic band gaps for two structures with hollow anisotropic tellurium (Te) rods. Both structures are found to have absolute band gaps at the low- and high-frequency regions. Compared with the photonic crystal with solid Te rods, the photonic crystal with hollow Te rods has a large absolute band gap at the high-frequency region: for the triangular lattice of oval hollow Te rods, there is an absolute band gap of 0.058w_e (w_e=2πc/a), and for the square lattice of square hollow Te rods, there is an absolute band gap of 0.056w_e.     

Electro-tunable one-dimensional photonic crystal structures based on grooved silicon infiltrated with liquid crystal

The paper reports on composite periodic structures fabricated by means of wet anisotropic etching of (1 1 0)-oriented Si on a SOI platform and infiltrated with liquid crystal E7. The electro-optical effect under low voltages was registered for inter-digital structures by both optical microscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy.     

The effect of etching interfacial layers on the absolute photonic band gap in two-dimensional photonic crystals

The photonic band structures of two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystals with etched interfacial layers between air rods and the background dielectric is studied theoretically. The effect of etching interfacial layers on absolute photonic band gap (PBG) is analyzed quantitatively. Numerical calculations are carried out based on Maxwell's equations and the plane-wave expansion method. It is shown that the physical property of interfacial layers influence the absolute PBG, and the existence of interfacial layers cannot enlarge the largest absolute PBG of an ideal case without interfacial layers.     

Sub-terahertz on-off switch based on a two-dimensional photonic crystal infiltrated by liquid crystals

A sub-terahertz switch is realized by infiltration of a two-dimensional photonic crystal (PC) with the liquid crystal 5CB. On-off switching is based on a shift of the bandgap of the PC by applying an external electric field which rotates the 5CB molecules. We confirm theoretically and experimentally that rotating the optical axis of the 5CB molecules considerably affects the transmission of the electromagnetic waves of TM polarization in the stop band. The effect can be used for on-off switching of the electromagnetic waves in the sub-terahertz range. Experimentally we demonstrate an extinction ratio of 13.3 dB at 91 GHz.     

Efficient omnidirectional couplers achieved by anisotropic photonic crystal waveguides

Photonic crystals (PCs) have many potential applications because of their ability to control light-wave propagation. We have investigated omnidirectional couplers in two-dimensional anisotropic PC structures. The anisotropic PC coupler composed of an anisotropic-dielectric cylinder in air is studied by solving Maxwell's equations using the plane wave expansion method and finite-difference time-domain method. The photonic band structures are found to exhibit absolute bandgaps for the square lattices. Numerical simulations show that the incident light-waves at both transverse electric and transverse magnetic modes have efficient coupling in anisotropic PC coupler with square lattices. The guided modes and coupling length are analyzed by considering various line defect anisotropic PC waveguides and interaction regions of couplers. Such a mechanism of omnidirectional coupling should open up a new application for designing components in photonic integrated circuits.     

Amphoteric-like refraction in a two-dimensional photonic crystal

High-index contrast photonic crystals possess an intricate photonic band structure that is responsible for surprising phenomena as the surperprism effect, self-collimation, power splitting or negative refraction. Recently, it was reported that at the interface between an isotropic medium and a uniaxial crystal (or between two uniaxial crystals) a phenomenon known as amphoteric refraction, that is, positive as well as negative refraction, can take place. By means of a equifrequency contours analysis and finite-difference time-domain simulations, we show that a two dimensional photonic crystal can also present amphoteric refraction by properly choosing the lattice orientation and the termination. However, total transmission is difficult to achieve because a Bloch mode is excited inside the photonic crystal and the coupling efficiency from this mode to an external plane wave is lower than one.     

Enlargement of complete two-dimensional band gap by using photonic crystal heterostructure

A two-dimensional photonic crystal heterostructure, which consists of two photonic crystals of a square lattice of circular columns with reverse dielectric configurations, is proposed. Photonic band gap properties are calculated using a plane-wave method and the transmission spectra are obtained. After optimization, the relative width of the complete band gap reached 13.8% based on the simple unit-cell shape and crystal lattice. The photonic crystal heterostructure opens up new ways of engineering photonic band gap materials and designing photonic crystal devices.     

Tunable full band gap in two-dimensional anisotropic photonic crystals infiltrated with liquid crystals

We analyze the tunability of full band gap in two-dimensional photonic crystals created by square and triangular lattices of anisotropic tellurium rods in air background, considering that the rods are infiltrated with liquid crystal. Using the plane-wave expansion method, we study the variation of full band gap by changing the optical axis orientation of liquid crystal.     

Engineering absolute band gap in anisotropic hexagonal photonic crystals

We analyze the band gap spectra of two-dimensional anisotropic photonic crystals created by a hexagonal lattice of rods covered by an interfacial layer (e.g. tellurium tubes). Using the plane-wave numerical expansion method, we study the modification of the band gap spectrum when the rods are infiltrated with other material, and discuss the optimization strategies leading to the maximum value of the absolute band gap.     

Theoretical and experimental studies of hyperreflective polymer-network cholesteric liquid crystal structures with helicity inversion

Single-layer cholesteric liquid crystals exhibit a reflection coefficient which is at most 50% for unpolarized incident light. We give theoretical and experimental evidence of single-layer polymer-stabilized cholesteric liquid-crystalline structures that demonstrate hyper-reflective properties. Such original features are derived by the concurrent and randomly interlaced presence of both helicities. The fundamental properties of such structures are revealed by detailed numerical simulations based on a stochastic approach.     

Demonstration of a new transport regime of photon in two-dimensional photonic crystal

A new transport regime of photon in two-dimensional photonic crystal near the Dirac point has been demonstrated by exact numerical simulation. In this regime, the conductance of photon is inversely proportional to the thickness of sample, which can be described by Dirac equation very well. Both of bulk and surface disorders always reduce the transmission, which is in contrast to the previous theoretical prediction that they increase the conductance of electron at the Dirac point of graphene. However, regular tuning of interface structures can cause the improvement of photon conductance. Furthermore, large conductance fluctuations of photon have also been observed, which is similar to the case of electron in graphene.     

Large forbidden angles for a two-dimensional photonic crystal of connected-honeycomb lattice

The off-plane band structures of a two-dimensional photonic crystals of connected-honeycomb lattice are calculated by the plane-wave expansion method. To investigate how the band gaps vary with the off-plane angle, an effective refractive-index model is employed to work out the corresponding angular gap map. We find that the connected-honeycomb lattice can provide forbidden angles taking up as much as 58.6% of the solid angle. The result will be helpful in the design of photonics devices incorporating two-dimensional photonic crystal structures.     

Propagation loss in a two-dimensional triangular photonic crystal waveguide

By means of a plane-wave-based transfer-matrix method, we present an extensive study of propagation loss in two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystal waveguides with limited cladding wall thickness. We examine the dependence of propagation loss on both the propagation direction and the waveguide wall thickness. It is shown that the propagation loss is a function of excitation frequency, wall thickness and waveguide outermost surface morphology. The conclusion that the propagation loss essentially decays exponentially with respect to the cladding wall thickness of a waveguide is valid only to a certain degree. In addition, we find that the propagation loss exhibit very complex behavior with respect to the excitation frequency.     

Air waveguide in a hybrid 1D and 2D photonic crystal hetero-structure

An air waveguide in hybrid one-dimensional photonic crystal and two-dimensional photonic crystal slab hetero-structure is designed. Light propagating in air waveguide can be confined by two-dimensional photonic crystal slab in x-y plane and one-dimensional photonic crystal films in z direction. Theoretical calculations show that air waveguide in the hetero-structure can achieve some functions as 3D PhCs but could be made more easily than 3D PhCs.     

Color dispersion in two-dimensional phase array based on polymer-dispersed liquid crystal film

This work proposes a feasible method for fabricating a two-dimensional periodic structure with a sub-micrometer periodicity using a single laser beam, based on polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films. The resulting nano-PDLC morphology is highly symmetrical, and similar to that written using multi-beam interference. The increase in the electric-tunability of the optical behavior, including spatial diffraction and color dispersion, is examined. The color dispersion provides optical evidence of the periodic structure of the PDLC film.     

Supercontinuum generation in a two-dimensional photonic kagome crystal

We demonstrate the generation of ultrabroad spectra in a photonic crystal fiber with a kagome-lattice transverse structure. This two-dimensional periodic photonic lattice allows for strong confinement of light without employing defect states nor using photonic bandgap guiding. Light guiding is mediated by total internal reflection in the intersections of the lattice structure, similar to tapered or micro-structured fibers. The kagome lattice structure is manufactured from a soft glass with a high nonlinearity. Using a Ti:sapphire oscillator as a pump source, we observe for the first time impressive supercontinuum generation in the guided modes of a 2D photonic lattice. Supercontinuum generation is caused by fission and radiation of higher-order solitons in the anomalous dispersion range. Our spectrum encompasses the spectral range from 200 to 1750 nm. The dependence of the continuum on coupling spot location, fiber length, and pump wavelength and power as well as on pulse duration and polarization state is investigated. Using a numerical simulation for the lattice structure, pulse propagation through this structure is theoretically studied. Our model reveals the mechanism of supercontinuuum generation in the 2D photonic structure and explains the essential experimental findings.Electronic supplementary material to this article is avaiable at and accessible for authorized users.     

Dependence of second-harmonic generation in ferroelectric liquid crystals with a defect on the optical gap

Second-harmonic generation (SHG) in ferroelectric liquid crystal with a twist defect is studied by de Vries' solution. It is shown that the width of the photonic band gap for the SH wave is an important factor to determine the saturation length. SHG is effectively enhanced by using narrow photonic band gaps.     

Study on complete band gap of two-dimensional photonic crystal with quadrangular rods

The plane wave expansion method (PWM) was employed to study the relation between the photonic band gap (PBG) of 2D triangular lattice photonic crystal (PC) and the shapes of rods and dielectric constant. It is shown that the PBG of PC with quadrangular rods is the widest one, compared with the other case with cross section shapes of triangular, circular and hexagon under the same filling ratio, and a peak value appears when the side length ratio of l_x/l_y is equal to 1.21 approximately to any filling ratio. In the aspect of the effects of dielectric constant, the PBG width does not increase monotonically with the increase permittivity ?₂ of the background material to certain permittivity ?₁ of the quadrangular rods, but has a peak value instead. However, the larger the permittivity ?₁ is, the narrower the band width is and the lower the central frequency is, and the dispersion Δ? = ?₂ − ?₁ is larger also.     

Study on maximum band gap of two-dimensional photonic crystal with elliptical holes

In this paper, the maximum photonic band gap (PBG) of two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystal (PC) with elliptical air holes was studied by the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method based on changing the ratio (semi-major axis length of elliptical hole to the filling ratio) and azimuth angle of elliptical holes, respectively. It is shown that the PBG exhibits a peak value when the ratio of semi-major axis length to the filling ratio is equal to 0.86 approximately by increasing the filling ratio, and central frequency and the low boundary frequency of PBG decrease linearly with the increasing of semi-major axis length. In the aspect of the influence of azimuth angle from 0 to 90°, the PBG presents a minimum value, and central frequency and the low boundary frequency of PBG become high non-linearly by the increasing of azimuth angle to any filling ratio.     

Enhanced beaming of light from a photonic crystal waveguide via a self-collimation photonic crystal

A simple method to control the light transmission from a photonic crystal waveguide (PCW) is proposed. The self-collimation (SC) effect in PC is utilized to depress the diffractive behavior of the light beam emitting out from the PCW. The finite difference in time domain (FDTD) simulation results show that choosing appropriate self-collimation frequency and the space between the PCW and the SC-PC can achieve a very good collimating beam in the outgoing side.