The emergence of a dielectric omnidirectional multilayer structure opens new opportunities for low loss broad-band guiding of light in air We demonstrate the effectiveness of such an approach by fabricating a broad-band, low-loss hollow waveguide in the 10-/spl mu/m region and measuring its transmission around a 300 bend The generality of the solution enables the application of the method to many wavelengths of interest important in telecommunication applications as well as for guiding high-power lasers in medical and other fields of use

Guiding optical light in air using an all-dielectric structure

We show theoretically that the omnidirectional total reflection frequency range of a multilayer dielectric reflector can be substantially enlarged as desired by using photonic heterostructures. This photonic heterostructure consists of different one-dimensional (1D) photonic crystals. The constituent 1D photonic crystals have to be properly chosen such that their omnidirectional photonic band gaps of the adjacent photonic crystals overlap each other.

Enlargement of omnidirectional total reflection frequency range in one-dimensional photonic crystals by using photonic heterostructures

A remarkable property of one-dimensional (I-D) alldielectric periodic structures has recently been reported, namely, a 1-D structure can totally reflect electromagnetic wave of any polarization at all angles within a prescribed frequency region, Unlike their metallic counterpart, such all-dielectric omnidirectional mirrors are nearly free of loss at optical frequencies. Here we discuss the physics, design criteria and applications of the thin-film all-dielectric omnidirectional mirror. The experimental demonstration of the mirror is presented at optical frequencies.

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All-dielectric one-dimensional periodic structures for total omnidirectional reflection and partial spontaneous emission control

Omnidirectional reflection from Fibonacci quasi-periodic one-dimensional photonic crystal

We use a computational model to investigate the different routes by which power is lost by an optical emitter placed in a microcavity environment. We make a quantitative investigation of the 1/2n 2 model used by many workers in evaluating the fraction of power radiated from a thin film of emitting material. We show the limitations of the 1/2n 2 model, emphasizing the important role of the orientation of the dipole moment of the emitters. Multi-layer systems, involving dielectric Bragg stack reflectors and metal mirrors, are compared for their efficiency in producing useful radiation. We consider both a standard Bragg reflector and the recently developed omni-directional Bragg stack. We show that metal mirrors, although lossy, may still be effective for producing useful radiation from microcavities. We focus our attention on parameters appropriate for organic microcavity light emitting diode structures.

Efficiency of spontaneous emission from planar microcavities

Full photonic bandgaps and spontaneous emission control in 1D multilayer dielectric structures

Summary form only given. Three-dimensional photonic bandgap crystals are extremely difficult to make in large volumes at optical frequencies. There is therefore great interest in whether one and two-dimensional photonic crystals can exhibit some of the same properties. For example, it is possible to design two-dimensional "quasi-metallic" (QM) photonic crystals which reject light incident from air no matter what the polarisation state or direction of propagation. It is perhaps less well known that simple, appropriately designed multilayer stacks can also be QM for incidence from, e.g., air or water. We explore the use of low-loss planar QM mirrors in high finesse optical microresonators.

S. Tredwell

Papers

Full photonic bandgaps and spontaneous emission control in 1D multilayer dielectric structures

Full photonic bandgaps and spontaneous emission control in 1-D multilayer dielectric structures