Photonic quasi-crystal based integrated optic devices

自20世纪80年代末提出平移对称光子晶体的概念以来，其研究活动不断增加。在理论分析和应用方面取得了重大进展，许多设备设计在实验室环境中得到了验证。20世纪90年代，高旋对称光子准晶首次亮相，并显示出平移对称光子准晶的重要性质。然而，由于缺乏彻底分析结构所需的理论工具，结构制造更加困难，它们受到的关注较少。本研究项目致力于通过理论分析、结构制作和器件开发等方面的进展，推动光子准晶体的发展。理论上的进展将沿着探索光子准晶体的旋转对称性的路线进行，目的是将极性光谱分解与极性能带结构联系起来。现有的内部开发的模拟工具将根据理论上的进步和选定的设备配置进行改进。在结构制作方面，计划探索SOI、LiNbO_3和玻璃中光子准晶体的产生和表征。选择这三种衬底的原因如下：SOI为光子准晶体结构提供了高的介电对比度，并显示了高潜力的下一代器件。LiNbO_3是一种成熟的衬底技术，表现出一些有趣的光学性质，如双折射和电光。LiNbO_3还保持了光子准晶体结构的高介电对比度。玻璃提供了与光纤技术兼容的介电值，因此光纤-波导耦合更简单。高介质对比度是通过在玻璃波导中加载一层薄薄的高介质包层来实现的。制造的结构将在现有的光学测量实验室中进行表征，显示出有希望的结果的设计将被配置到光学设备中。SOI研究的很大一部分将与亚利桑那大学光学科学中心的一名研究人员合作进行。

Research activities in translationally symmetric photonic crystals have continuously increased since its conception in the late 1980s. Significant advances in theoretical analysis and applications have been made with numerous device designs proven in the laboratory environment. In the 1990s, the high rotationally symmetric photonic quasi-crystal made its debut and was shown to display the important properties of the translation symmetric counterparts. However they have received less attention as the theoretical tools required to thoroughly analyze the structures are still lacking and structure fabrication is more difficult. This research project is focused on advancing the photonic quasi-crystal know how through advancements in theoretical analysis, structure fabrication and device development. Theoretical advancements will follow along the lines of exploring the rotational symmetry properties of photonic quasi-crystals with the objective of linking a polar spectral decomposition with a polar band structure. Existing in-house developed simulation tools will be enhanced based on the theoretical advancements and chosen device configurations. In the fabrication of structures, the plan is to explore the production and characterization of photonic quasi-crystals in SOI, LiNbO3 and glass. These three substrates are selected for the following reasons, SOI provides a high dielectric contrast for photonic quasi-crystal structures and displays a high potential for next generation devices. LiNbO3 is a mature substrate technology showing several interesting optical properties such as birefringence and is electro-optic. LiNbO3 also retains a high dielectric contrast for photonic quasi-crystal structures. Glass provides a dielectric value compatible with the optical fiber technology and as such fiber-waveguide coupling is simpler. The high dielectric contrast is achieved by loading the glass waveguide with a thin high dielectric cladding. Structures fabricated will be characterized in the existing optical measurement laboratory and designs showing promising results will be configured into optical devices. A large portion of the SOI research will be conducted in collaboration with a researcher at the University of Arizona's Optical Sciences center.