Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026
11:08
Fabrication And Characterization Of Photonic Crystal Slow Light Waveguides And Cavities
Published on: November 30, 2012
Optically-controlled high-speed terahertz wave modulator based on nonlinear photonic crystals.
He-ming Chen1, Jian Su, Jing-li Wang
1Institute of Optical Communication, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210003, China. njchenhm@sina.com
Optics Express
|March 4, 2011
Summary
A novel terahertz (THz) modulator uses nonlinear photonic crystals for high-speed optical control. This compact device achieves a 2.5 GHz modulation rate, offering efficient THz wave modulation.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Terahertz (THz) technology
- Materials science
Background:
- Terahertz (THz) modulators are crucial for advanced optical communication and sensing.
- Existing modulators often face limitations in speed, size, or integration.
- Photonic crystals (PCs) offer unique properties for manipulating electromagnetic waves.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and simulate an optically-controlled terahertz (THz) modulator.
- To leverage nonlinear photonic crystals for high-speed modulation.
- To demonstrate the feasibility of a compact and easily integrated THz modulator.
Main Methods:
- Design of a photonic crystal (PC) structure with point and line defects.
- Incorporation of an organic polymer, polyaniline, with a rapid nonlinear response into a point defect.
- Optical control mechanism for THz wave modulation.
Main Results:
- Achieved a high modulation rate of 2.5 GHz.
- Demonstrated a significant modulation depth of 20.3 dB.
- Maintained a low insertion loss of 1.02 dB.
Conclusions:
- The proposed nonlinear photonic crystal (PC) based THz modulator offers high speed and compactness.
- The use of polyaniline enables rapid optical control of THz waves.
- This technology holds promise for advanced THz applications requiring fast modulation.
