Photonic crystal heterostructures, like their semiconductor quantum electronic counterparts, generate complex function from simple, well-understood building blocks. They have led to compact photonic crystal-based waveguides and record-quality-factor resonant cavities. Here the progress on the experimental realization of photonic crystal heterostructure devices, and on the development of convenient, intuitive, and computationally efficient models of devices that unite multiple finite-sized photonic crystal media to engineer photon localization and guidance is summarized.

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Photonic crystal heterostructures and interfaces

Light selection based purely on the angle of propagation is a long-standing scientific challenge. In angularly selective systems, however, the transmission of light usually also depends on the light frequency. We tailored the overlap of the band gaps of multiple one-dimensional photonic crystals, each with a different periodicity, in such a way as to preserve the characteristic Brewster modes across a broadband spectrum. We provide theory as well as an experimental realization with an all-visible spectrum, p-polarized angularly selective material system. Our method enables transparency throughout the visible spectrum at one angle--the generalized Brewster angle--and reflection at every other viewing angle.

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Optical broadband angular selectivity.

Here we demonstrate by theoretical analysis a novel way to enhance the omnidirectional total-reflection wavelength range in one-dimensional photonic bandgap material by using a ternary periodic structure (i.e., three material layers constituting a period of the lattice). The omnidirectional total reflection range using a binary (BaF2/PbS) periodic structure was enhanced by 108 nm when the structure was modified by sandwiching a thin layer of ZrO2 between every two layers, constituting a period of the lattice. A shift of the omnidirectional range toward higher wavelengths was also observed. When the sandwiched layer was CeF3, the enhancement in the range was 120 nm. As the sandwiched layer is very thin, there will not be any significant increase in the size of the reflector, contrary to the case of heterostructured photonic crystals (PCs) where two or more PCs are clubbed together to achieve enhancement.

Enhancement of omnidirectional total-reflection wavelength range by using one-dimensional ternary photonic bandgap material

In this paper, we demonstrate by theoretical analysis a novel way to enhance the omnidirectional photonic band gap (OBG) in a type of photonic structure made of dielectric and plasma one-dimensional (1D) photonic crystals (1D PCs) by introducing a matching layer. Simulations by the transfer matrix method (TMM) show that such an OBG is insensitive to the incident angle and the polarization of electromagnetic (EM) wave; the frequency range and central frequency of OBG are significantly enlarged by introducing a matching layer in the heterostructure compared to 1D conventional binary dielectric photonic crystals (DPCs). The photonic band gap (PBG) of both polarizations also can be obviously enlarged as the incident angle is relatively small. The OBG originates from a Bragg gap in contrast to zero-n gap or single negative (negative permittivity or negative permeability) gap. From the numerical results, it has been shown that introducing a matching layer in such a heterostructure has a superior feature in the...

Enhancement of omnidirectional photonic band gaps in one-dimensional dielectric plasma photonic crystals with a matching layer

Comparing with an all-dielectric binary photonic crystal, we show, in this work, that the photonic band gap in ternary metal- dielectric photonic crystal can be signiflcantly enlarged. First, the band gap enlargement due to the addition of the metallic fllm is examined in the case of normal incidence. Next, in the oblique incidence, a wider omnidirectional band gap can be obtained in such a ternary metal-dielectric photonic crystal. All the theoretical analyses are made based on the transfer matrix method together with the Drude model of metals.

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Band Gap Extension in a One-Dimensional Ternary Metal-Dielectric Photonic Crystal

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

We show theoretically that the photonic band structures of photonic crystals (PhCs) with constituent materials containing free carriers can be tuned by an external magnetic field in the frequency range below the far infrared region. We take one-dimensional PhCs consisting of an intrinsic InSb layer and an air layer stacked alternately as an example in studying photonic band structures and transmissive properties within the magnetic field.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0953-8984/15/40/010/pdf

Wulin Jia

Papers

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

Tunability of photonic crystals based on the Faraday effect

A Novel Polarizer Made from Two-Dimensional Photonic Bandgap Materials