Dispersion Engineering of Photonic Crystals

允许将专用光学集成电路(ASOIC)小型化到与光波长相当的规模的常用光学元件是开发芯片级光学处理设备的可行候选，例如波分复用高带宽光通信链路、滤光器、透镜、交换机和路由器。目前，光处理设备的规模往往比光的波长大得多，这限制了它们在片上应用中的使用。然而，纳米光子器件领域的最新发展导致了设计和制造这些器件的能力。因此，焦点现在已从“如果”转向“如何”。也就是说，现在的问题是应该如何实现这样的器件和电路。目前有许多建议的器件、设计工具和制造工艺。因此，在这项工作中，PI将遵循一条一致的路线，通过可用的技术来展示高性能集成平面光子晶体器件。特别是，他将致力于开发基于对光子晶体色散特性进行工程设计的此类设备。在这样做的过程中，他将展示凭借其独特的色散特性对晶格内的传播波施加控制的设备。为此，PI将首先对光子晶体器件进行广泛的审视，因为它们是与亚波长尺度上的光波相互作用的电磁组件。在一般意义上，这种器件可以被认为是包含独特的电磁色散特性的器件。在这个意义上，可以预见它们属于更大类别的电磁色散结构。这种结构可以由包含任意二维平面周期性的一般周期介质结构组成。在这种情况下，人们可以适当地设计完全依赖于带外的独特色散特性的PHC。为此，可以实现许多有用和有趣的设备，这是这一努力的重点。

0322633PratherOptical components that permit the miniaturization of an Application Specific Optical Integrated Circuit (ASOIC) to a scale comparable to the wavelength of light represent a viable candidate for developing chip-scale optical processing devices, such as wavelength-division-multiplexed high-bandwidth optical communication links, optical filters, lenses, switches, and routers. Currently, optical processing devices tend to have a scale much larger than the wavelength of light, which prohibits their use in on-chip applications. However, recent developments in the area of nano-photonic devices has resulted in the ability to both design and fabricate these devices. As such, the focus has now turned from "if" to "how." That is to say, the question now is "how" should one go about realizing such devices and circuits. Currently there are many proposed devices, design tools, and fabrication processes. Thus, in this effort the PI will follow a consistent path through the available techniques to demonstrate high performance integrated planar photonic crystal devices. In particular, he will pursue the development of such devices that are based on engineering the dispersion property of photonic crystals. In so doing, he will demonstrate devices that exert control over propagation waves within the crystal lattice by virtue of their unique dispersion properties. To this end, the PI will begin by taking a broad view of photonic crystal devices in the sense that they are electromagnetic components that interact with optical waves on a subwavelength scale. In a general sense, such devices can be thought of as devices that contain unique electromagnetic dispersion properties. In this sense, they can be envisioned to belong to a larger class of electromagnetically dispersive structures. Such structures can consist of general periodic dielectric structures containing arbitrary two-dimensional planar periodicity. For this case, one can properly engineer a PhC that relies exclusively on the unique dispersion properties outside of the bandga. To this end, numerous useful and interesting devices can be realized, which is the emphasis of this effort.