Line defect splitters for self-collimated beams in photonic crystals

A one-to-two splitter for self-collimated beams in photonic crystal (PC) is designed by inserting one row of line defects. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method is used to simulate the light propagation process. Our systematical studies show that the splitting ratio is a function of the airholes size of the line defect radius, and stays fairly constant as a function of frequency. Furthermore, it is shown the numerical results can be analyzed by coupled-mode theory. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mode characteristics for equilateral triangle optical resonators

Mode characteristics of equilateral triangle resonators (ETRs) are analyzed based on the symmetry operation of the point group C-3v. The results show that doubly degenerate eigenstates can be reduced to the A(1) and A(2) representations of C-3v, if the longitudinal mode number is a multiple of 6; otherwise, they form the E irreducible representation Of C-3v. And the one-period length for the mode light ray is half of the perimeter of the ETR. Mode Q-factors are calculated by the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique and compared with those calculated from far-field emission based on the analytical near-field pattern for TE and TM modes. The results show that the far-field emission based on the analytical field distribution can be used to estimate the mode Q-factor, especially for TM modes. FDTD numerical results also show that Q-factor of TE modes reaches maximum value as the longitudinal mode number is a multiple of 7. In addition, photoluminescence spectra and measured Q-factors are presented for fabricated ETR with side lengths of 20 and 30 mu m, and the mode wavelength intervals are compared with the analytical results.

Computation of resonant frequencies and quality factors of cavities by FDTD technique and Pade approximation

The finite-difference time domain (FDTD) technique and the Pade approximation with Baker's algorithm are used to calculate the mode frequencies and quality factors of cavities. Comparing with the fast Fourier transformation/Pade method, we find that the Fade approximation and the Baker's algorithm can obtain exact resonant frequencies and quality factors based on a much shorter time record of the FDTD output.

Influence of output waveguide on mode quality factor in semiconductor microlasers with an equilateral triangle resonator

Semiconductor microlasers with an equilateral triangle resonator (ETR) and an output waveguide are proposed and analyzed by the finite-difference time-domain technique and the Pade approximation. The numerical results show that microlasers with an output waveguide still have a high-quality factor (Q factor) and are suitable to realize directional emission. For the ETR with a 0.46-mum-width opening in one of the vertices connected to the output waveguide, we have the Q factor of 1.5x10(3) and 2.5x10(2) for the TM fundamental mode at the wavelength of 1.55 mum, as the side length of the ETR is 5 and 3 mum. The simulated intensity distributions are presented for the fundamental mode in the ETR with a side length of 3 mum and an opening of 0.23 mum. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)01749-6].

Polarization-Independent Micro-Ring Resonator on Silicon-on-Insulator

Polarization-independent laterally-coupled micro-ring resonator has been designed and demonstrated. The origin of the polarization-sensitivity of the photonic wire waveguide (PWW) was analyzed. A polarization-insensitive PWW structure was designed and a polarization-insensitive MRR based on this PWW structure was designed by finite difference time-domain method and was fabricated on an 8-inch silicon-on-insulator wafer. The offset between the resonant wavelengths of the quasi-TE mode and the quasi-TM mode is smaller than 0.15 nm. The FSR is about 17 nm, extinction ratio about 10 dB and Q about 620.

High Q-factor TM modes in three-dimensional semiconductor microresonators

We have investigated the mode characteristics for three-dimensional (3D) semiconductor microresonators by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique. The results show that the quality-factors (Q-factors) of TM-like modes are much larger than those of TE-like modes as the vertical waveguidng formed by semiconductor materials.

Investigation of vertical radiation loss for whispering-gallery modes in 3-D microresonators by FDTD simulation

The vertical radiation loss of three-dimensional (3-D) microresonators is investigated by 3-D finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation. The simulation shows that the vertical radiation causes an important loss in the microresonators with weak waveguiding, and result in decrease of the quality factors (Q-factors) of whispering-gallery (WG) modes. Through the simulation, we find that TM-like modes have much weaker vertical radiation loss than TE-like modes. High Q-factor TM-like modes are observed in the 3-D microresonators with weak vertical waveguiding, but the Q-factors of TE-like modes decrease greatly.

High-quality-factor EH modes in microcylinder resonators predicted by 3D FDTD simulation

The mode characteristis of a microcylinders with center layer thickness 0.2 mu m and radius 1 mu m are investigated by the three-dimensional (31)) finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique and the Pade approximation. The mode quality factor (Q-factor) of the EH71 mode obtained by 3D FDTD increase with the increase of the refractive index of the cladding layer n(2) as n(2) smaller than 3.17, and can be as large as 2.4 x 10(4) as the vertical refractive index distribution is 3.17/3.4/3.17, which is much larger than that of the HE71 mode with the same vertical refractive index distribution.

Influence of dispersive coupling coefficient in microring channel drop filters

Wide transmission dips are observed in the through spectra in microring and racetrack channel drop filters by two-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation. The transmission spectra, which reflect the coupling efficiency, are also calculated from the FDTD output as the pulse just travels one circle inside the resonator. The results indicate that the dips are caused by the dispersion of the coupling coefficient between the input waveguide and the resonator. In addition, a near-zero channel drop on resonance and a large channel drop off resonance are observed due to the near zero coupling coefficient and a large coupling coefficient, respectively. If the width of the input waveguide is different from that of the ring resonator, the oscillation of the coupling coefficient can be greatly suppressed.

Dipole mode photonic crystal point defect laser on InGaAsP/InP

In this paper, we focus on the dipole mode of the two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystal (PC) single point defect cavity (SPDC) lasers and we report the fabrication and characterization of 2D PC SPDC lasers with the structure of adjusted innermost air holes. The photonic band and cavity Q factors are simulated by means of plane wave expansion (PWE) and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD), respectively. In order to improve the optical confinement of the SPDC, the diameter of the innermost holes was adjusted. Different lasing performances are observed experimentally. The experimental results agree with the theoretical prediction very well. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

InGaAsP-InP Square Microlasers With a Vertex Output Waveguide

InGaAsP-InP square microlasers with a vertex output waveguide are fabricated by planar processes, and the etched sidewalls of the lasers are confined by insulating layer SiO2 and p-electrode TiAu metals. For a square microlaser with a side length of 30 mu m and a 2-mu m-wide output waveguide, a continuous-wave threshold current is 26 mA at room temperature and output power is 0.72 mW at 86 mA. The mode interval of 21 and 7.4 nm is observed for the microlasers with the side length of 10 and 30 mu m, respectively. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations indicate that the lasing modes have incident angles of about 45 degrees at the boundaries of the resonator. In addition, square resonators surrounded by air, SiO2-Ti-Au, and SiO2-Au are compared by FDTD simulations.

AlGaInAs-InPMicrocylinder Lasers Connected With an Output Waveguide

AlGaInAs-InPmicrocylinder lasers connected with an output waveguide are fabricated by planar technology. Room-temperature continuous-wave operation with a threshold current of 8 mA is realized for a microcylinder laser with the radius of 10 mu m and the output waveguide width of 2 mu m. The mode Q-factor of 1.2 x 10(4) is measured from the laser spectrum at the threshold. Coupled mode characteristics are analyzed by 2-D finite-difference time-domain simulation and the analytical solution of whispering-gallery modes. The calculated mode Q-factors of coupled modes are in the same order as the measured value.

Applicatioo of Pade Approximation in Simulating Photonic Crystals

To save finite-difference time-domain(FDTD) computing time, several methods are proposed to convert the time domain FDTD output into frequency domain. The Padé approximation with Baker's algorithm and the program are introduced to simulate photonic crystal structures. For a simple pole system with frequency 160THz and quality factor of 5000,the intensity spectrum obtained by the Padé approximation from a 28-item sequence output is more exact than that obtained by fast Fourier transformation from a 220-item sequence output. The mode frequencies and quality factors are calculated at different wave vectors for the photonic crystal slab from a much shorter FDTD output than that required by the FFT method,and then the band diagrams are obatined. In addition,mode frequencies and Q-factors are calculated for photonic crystal microcavity.

Modulation of Photonic Bandgap and Localized States by Dielectric Constant Contrast and Filling Factor in Photonic Crystals

The band structure of 2D photonic crystals (PCs) and localized states resulting from defects are analyzed by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique and Pade approximation. The effect of dielectric constant contrast and filling factor on photonic bandgap (PBG) for perfect PCs and localized states in PCs with point defects are investigated. The resonant frequencies and quality factors are calculated for PCs with different defects. The numerical results show that it is possible to modulate the location, width and number of PBGs and frequencies of the localized states only by changing the dielectric constant contrast and filling factor.

Potential light source for photonic integrated circuits based on the equilateral triangle resonator

The semiconductor microlasers based on the equilateral triangle resonator (ETR) can be fabricated from the edge-emitting laser wafer by dry-etching technique, and the directional emission can be obtained by connecting an output waveguide to one of the vertices of the ETR. We investigate the mode characteristics, especially the mode quality factor, for the ETR with imperfect vertices, which is inevitable in the real technique process. The numerical simulations show that the confined modes can still have a high quality factor in the ETR with imperfect vertices. We can expect that the microlasers is a suitable light source for photonic integrated circuits.