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Fabrication And Characterization Of Photonic Crystal Slow Light Waveguides And Cavities
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Refraction and rightness in photonic crystals
Optics Express
|June 6, 2009
Summary
We explored refraction and rightness in photonic crystals, revealing a novel left-handed positive refraction. This finding demonstrates that left-handedness in photonic crystals doesn't always mean negative refraction.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
Background:
- Photonic crystals exhibit unique wave propagation properties.
- Understanding refraction and rightness is key to designing advanced optical devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between refraction and rightness effects in 2D square lattice photonic crystals.
- To explore all possible refraction and rightness cases within the first three bands of photonic crystal structures.
Main Methods:
- Utilized plane wave analysis, including band structure and equifrequency contour analyses.
- Performed Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) calculations for both Transverse Magnetic (TM) and Transverse Electric (TE) modes.
Main Results:
- Characterized all possible refraction and rightness scenarios in the photonic crystal.
- Demonstrated the unprecedented occurrence of left-handed positive refraction for the first time.
- Showcased that left-handedness does not inherently necessitate negative refraction in photonic crystals.
Conclusions:
- The study expands the understanding of wave phenomena in photonic crystals.
- Identified a new regime of optical behavior: left-handed positive refraction.
- Challenges the conventional association between left-handedness and negative refraction in photonic materials.
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