Zener tunneling in two-dimensional photonic lattices

We discuss the interband light tunneling in a two-dimensional periodic photonic structure, as studied recently in experiments for optically induced photonic lattices [Trompeter, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 053903 (2006)]. We identify the Zener tunneling regime at the crossing of two Bloch bands, which occurs in the generic case of a Bragg reflection when the Bloch index crosses the edge of the irreducible Brillouin zone. Similarly, higher-order Zener tunneling involves four Bloch bands when the Bloch index passes through a high-symmetry point on the edge of the Brillouin zone. We derive simple analytical models that describe the tunneling effect, and calculate the corresponding tunneling probabilities.