Open AccessControlling uncoupled resonances in photonic crystals through breaking the mirror symmetry
Author(s) -
Onur Kilic,
Michel J. F. Digonnet,
G. S. Kino,
Olav Solgaard
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.16.013090
Subject(s) - asymmetry , photonic crystal , laser linewidth , physics , optics , symmetry (geometry) , mirror symmetry , symmetry breaking , excited state , slab , coupling (piping) , condensed matter physics , atomic physics , materials science , quantum mechanics , laser , geometry , mathematics , geophysics , metallurgy
We show that modes in a photonic crystal slab that are uncoupled to outside radiation in a symmetric structure can be excited by breaking the mirror symmetry through introducing a protrusion on the side of the photonic crystal holes. We show that coupling to these resonances can be controlled by the strength of this asymmetry, and that it is also possible to choose among modes to couple to, through the shape of the asymmetry introduced. We provide simple theoretical arguments that explain the effect, and present eigenmode simulations and time-domain simulations. We confirm this predicted behavior with measurements on a photonic crystal with a broken mirror symmetry that exhibits an additional sharp resonant feature with a linewidth of 0.5 nm, in agreement with both calculated and simulated predictions.