Tight control of light beams in photonic crystals with spatially-variant lattice orientation

Spatially-variant photonic crystals (SVPCs), in which the orientation of the unit cell changes as a function of position, are shown to be capable of abruptly controlling light beams using just low index materials and can be made to have high polarization selectivity. Multi-photon direct laser writing in the photo-polymer SU-8 was used to fabricate three-dimensional SVPCs that direct the flow of light around a 90 degree bend. The lattice spacing and fill factor were maintained nearly constant throughout the structure. The SVPCs were characterized at a wavelength of 2.94 μm by scanning the faces with optical fibers and the results were compared to electromagnetic simulations. The lattices were shown to direct infrared light of one polarization through sharp bends while the other polarization propagated straight through the SVPC. This work introduces a new scheme for controlling light that should be useful for integrated photonics.