Tuning efficiency and sensitivity of guided resonances in photonic crystals and quasi-crystals: a comparative study

In this paper, we present a comparative study of the tuning efficiency and sensitivity of guided resonances (GRs) in photonic crystal (PC) holed slabs based on periodic and aperiodically-ordered unit cells, aimed at assessing the applicability of these important technology platforms to ultra-compact optical sensors and active devices. In particular, with specific reference to square-lattice periodic PCs and aperiodically-ordered Ammann-Beenker photonic quasi-crystals, we study the effects of the hole radius, slab thickness, and refractive index on the GR sensitivity and tunability with respect to variation in the hole refractive index. Finally, we carry out a theoretical and numerical analysis in order to correlate the GR shift with the field distribution of the unperturbed (air holes) structures. Our results indicate that the spatial arrangement of the holes may strongly influence the tuning and sensitivity efficiency, and may provide new degrees of freedom and tools for the design and optimization of novel photonic devices for both sensing and telecommunication applications.