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Fabrication And Characterization Of Photonic Crystal Slow Light Waveguides And Cavities
Published on: November 30, 2012
Slow-light dispersion engineering of photonic crystal waveguides using selective microfluidic infiltration
A Casas-Bedoya1, C Husko, C Monat
1Centre for Ultrahigh bandwidth Devices for Optical Systems (CUDOS), Institute of Photonics and Optical Science (IPOS), School of Physics, University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia. casas@physics.usyd.edu.au
Optics Letters
|October 18, 2012
Summary
We engineered slow light in photonic crystal waveguides using ionic liquids, achieving tunable light slowing to ~c/80. This optofluidic approach offers flexible control over light propagation in photonic circuits.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Materials Science
- Optics
Background:
- Photonic crystal (PhC) waveguides are crucial for controlling light propagation.
- Achieving tunable slow light phenomena is essential for optical signal processing and buffering.
- Optofluidic integration offers a promising route for dynamic control of photonic devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate dispersion engineering of slow light in PhC waveguides.
- To investigate the use of ionic liquids for tunable optical properties.
- To highlight the potential of optofluidics in PhC circuits.
Main Methods:
- Selective infiltration of air holes in PhC waveguides with high index ionic liquids.
- Experimental characterization of the optical properties of the infiltrated waveguides.
- Analysis of the temporal changes in effective refractive index due to liquid dynamics.
Main Results:
- Achieved a dispersion window of 3 nm in the infiltrated PhC waveguide.
- Observed a nearly constant group velocity of approximately c/80, dependent on liquid properties.
- Demonstrated dynamic changes in effective refractive index influenced by liquid behavior.
Conclusions:
- Optofluidic infiltration provides a versatile and tunable method for dispersion engineering in PhC waveguides.
- Ionic liquids enable dynamic control over slow light phenomena.
- This technique offers flexibility for advanced optofluidic photonic integrated circuits.
