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Fabrication of 1-D Photonic Crystal Cavity on a Nanofiber Using Femtosecond Laser-induced Ablation
Published on: February 25, 2017
Stretchable photonic crystal cavity with wide frequency tunability.
Chun L Yu1, Hyunwoo Kim, Nathalie de Leon
1Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
Nano Letters
|December 19, 2012
Summary
Researchers developed a flexible photonic crystal cavity with tunable resonance frequency. This silicon nanowire and PDMS device offers a record 60 nm tuning range via mechanical stretching for advanced applications.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Photonic crystal (PC) cavities are crucial for controlling light.
- Existing tunable PC cavities often lack wide tuning ranges or mechanical flexibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a flexible photonic crystal cavity with a wide-range tunable resonance frequency.
- To demonstrate a novel approach for mechanically reconfigurable photonic devices.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a 2D photonic crystal cavity using silicon nanowires in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix.
- Characterization of the cavity resonance in the telecommunication band.
- Evaluation of resonance frequency tuning via mechanical stretching.
Main Results:
- Achieved a reversible tuning range of 60 nm for the cavity resonance frequency.
- Demonstrated a record tuning range for two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystal structures.
- Confirmed the cavity resonance operates within the telecommunication band.
Conclusions:
- The developed flexible PC cavity offers unprecedented wide-range mechanical tunability.
- This technology holds promise for applications in integrated photonics, biosensing, and smart materials.
- Mechanically reconfigurable photonic devices represent a significant advancement in the field.
