Open AccessHigh-precision optical interference in Mach-Zehnder-type photonic crystal waveguide
Author(s) -
Yoshimasa Sugimoto,
Hitoshi Nakamura,
Yu Tao,
Naoki Ikeda,
Kiyoshi Asakawa,
Kuon Inoue
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/opex.13.000096
Subject(s) - optics , photonic crystal , interference (communication) , mach–zehnder interferometer , coupled mode theory , fabrication , physics , materials science , photonics , refractive index , phase difference , optoelectronics , phase (matter) , interferometry , telecommunications , medicine , channel (broadcasting) , alternative medicine , pathology , quantum mechanics , computer science
Excellent optical interference was experimentally demonstrated in the near infrared region using asymmetric Mach-Zehnder (MZ) type GaAs-based two-dimensional photonic crystal (2DPC) slab waveguides with directional couplers (DCs). As one of two MZ arm lengths changed in units of the lattice constant, the output intensities exhibited sinusoidal curves in excellent agreement with coupled-mode theory. In another experiment where the DCs were operated by two incident optical beams with externally controlled phase's difference, a sinusoidal change was observed also in output intensities according to the theory of the DC. These results were obtained by virtue of excellent nano-fabrication of the 2DPC structures and pave the way to successful operation of a PC-based ultra-small symmetrical MZ (SMZ) all-optical switch.