Fabrication of high-quality three-dimensional photonic crystal heterostructures

Three-dimensional photonic crystal （PC） heterostructures with high quality are fabricated by using a pressure controlled isothermal heating vertical deposition technique. The formed heterostructures have higher quality, such as deeper band gaps and sharper band edges, than the heterostructures reported so far. Such a significant improvement in quality is due to the introduction of a thin TiO2 buffer layer between the two constitutional PCs. It is revealed that the disorder caused by lattice mismatch is successfully removed if the buffer layer is used once. As a result, the formed heterostructures possess the main features in the band gap of constitutional PCs. The crucial role of the thin buffer layer is also verified by numerical simulations based on the finite-difference time-domain technique.

The features of band structures for woodpile three-dimensional photonic crystals with plasma and function dielectric constituents

The features of the band structures of woodpile three-dimensional （3D） photonic crystals composed of plasma and function dielectric constituents, referred to as function plasma photonic crystals （FPPCs）, are theoretically studied by a modified plane wave expansion method, and the formulas for computing the band structures are derived. The arrangement for the proposed FPPCs is that the function dielectric columns are surrounded by plasma, and the embedded dielectric columns are stacked according to the woodpile lattices, which are arrayed with facecentered-tetragonal symmetry. The relative permittivity of function dielectric rods depends on the function coefficient and space coordinates. The relationships between the parameters for inserted function dielectric rods and plasma and the band structures are also investigated. The computed results illustrate that the obtained PBG can be tuned by those parameters as mentioned above. Compared to dielectric-air PCs, function dielectric PCs and plasma dielectric PCs with the same topology, a wider bandwidth of the photonic band gap can be observed in the proposed FPPCs. The calculated results also show us another alternative way to realize reconfigurable applications with 3D FPPCs.

Visualized optical sensors based on two/three-dimensional photonic crystals for biochemicals

Responsive photonic crystals(RPCs) constructed by periodic two/three-dimensional(2D/3D) photonic crystals(PCs) and responsive-material hosts,are important visualized optical sensors.Their optical diffraction color can be tuned reversibly by external stimuli,such as pH,metal ions,biomolecules,vapors and solvents,hence leading to wide applications as visualized sensors.This review introduces the recent progress of RPCs based on 2D/3D PCs for visual detection of chemical and biological analytes,including the preparation of 2D PCs,3D PCs films,3D PCs microbeads and their applications as visualized sensors.The different cases of detecting various chemical and biological analytes by naked eyes are presented.Emphasis is given to the description of their respective sensing mechanisms with the different systems for chemical and biological analytes.Compared with 3D RPCs sensors,2D RPCs sensors have shorter response time,better stabilization and higher production efficiency,however,the diffraction intensity of 2D RPCs based on monolayered 2D polystyrene(PS) microsphere array are weak.2D RPCs sensors based on 2D Au nanosphere can significantly improve the diffraction intensity compared with traditional 2D RPCs sensors based on monolayered PS microsphere array.The much higher scattering cross section of Au nanosphere leads to 2D Au nanosphere array with ultrahigh optical diffraction intensity,which are highly helpful for their practical application as visual sensors and further quantitative detection by monitoring the diffraction peak position and intensity.

Modification of the spontaneous emission of quantum dots near the surface of a three-dimensional colloidal photonic crystal

This paper demonstrates experimentally and numerically that a significant modification of spontaneous emission rate can be achieved near the surface of a three-dimensional photonic crystal. In experiments, semiconductor coreshell quantum dots are intentionally confined in a thin polymer film on which a three-dimensional colloidal photonic crystal is fabricated. The spontaneous emission rate of quantum dots is characterised by conventional and time-resolved photoluminescence （PL） measurements. The modification of the spontaneous emission rate, which is reflected in the change of spectral shape and PL lifetime, is clearly observed. While an obvious increase in the PL lifetime is found at most wavelengths in the band gap, a significant reduction in the PL lifetime by one order of magnitude is observed at the short-wavelength band edge. Numerical simulation reveals a periodic modulation of spontaneous emission rate with decreasing modulation strength when an emitter is moved away from the surface of the photonic crystal. It is supported by the fact that the modification of spontaneous emission rate is not pronounced for quantum dots distributed in a thick polymer film where both enhancement and suppression are present simultaneously. This finding provides a simple and effective way for improving the performance of light emitting devices.

Three-dimensional photonic crystals containing designed defects achieved with two-photon photopolymerization

Two-photon photopolymerization （TPP） with femtosecond laser is a promising method to fabricate threedimensional （3D） photonic crystals （PCs）. Based on the TPP principle, the micro-fabrication system has been built. The 3D woodpile PCs with rod space of 2000 nm are fabricated easily and different defects are introduced in order to form the cross-waveguide and the micro-laser structure PCs. Simulation results of the optical field intensity distributions using finite-difference time domain （FDTD） method are given, which support the designs and implementation of the PC of two types in theory.

Photonic band structure of three-dimensional colloidal crystals with field-induced lattice structure transformation

By utilizing the electrorheological effect, three-dimensional colloidal crystals can be produced, whose lattice structure can be changed from the body-centered-tetragonal lattice to other lattices under the application of electric fields. This paper calculates photonic band structures of such crystals with lattice structure transformation, and demonstrates the existence of complete band gaps for some intermediate lattices. Thus, it becomes possible to use the electrorheological effect to achieve photonic crystals with desired photonic gap properties resulting from tunable structures.

High-efficiency ultra-fast all-optical photonic crystal diode based on the lateral-coupled nonlinear elliptical defect

An all-optical Fano-like diode featuring a nonlinear lateral elliptical micro-cavity and a reflecting column in the photonic crystal waveguide is proposed.The asymmetric micro-cavity is constructed by removing one rod and changing the shape of the lateral rod from a circle to an ellipse.A reflecting pillar is also introduced into the waveguide to construct an F-P cavity with the elliptical defect and enhance the asymmetric transmission for the incident light wave transmitting rightwards and leftwards,respectively.By designing the size of the ellipse and optimizing a reflecting rod at a suitable position,a maximum forward light transmittance of-1.14 dB and a minimum backward transmittance of-57.66 dB are achieved at the working wavelength of 1550.47 nm.The corresponding response time is about 10 ps when the intensity of the pump light beam resonant at 637 nm is 3.97 W/μm2.

Topological slow light and rainbow trapping of surface wave in valley photonic crystal bounded by air

Topological slow light and rainbow trapping tend to rely on large-scale interface structure in previous research work,which have restricted further miniaturization.In this work,we propose a method to realize slow light and rainbow trapping at the zigzag edge of a single valley photonic crystals(VPCs)bounded by air,which is very different from previous studies where rainbow trapping is supported at the interface separating two VPCs with inversion symmetry.By constructing the VPC–air boundaries and VPC–VPC interfaces experimentally,we have observed the topologically protected rainbow trapping simultaneously at the external and internal boundary.This work provides a feasible platform for the miniaturized optical communication devices such as optical buffers,optical storage and optical routing.

Mode coupling with Fabry-Perot modes in photonic crystal slabs

Fabry–Perot(FP)modes are a class of fundamental resonances in photonic crystal(PhC)slabs.Owing to their low quality factors,FP modes are frequently considered as background fields with their resonance nature being neglected.Nevertheless,FP modes can play important roles in some phenomena,as exemplified by their coupling with guided resonance(GR)modes to achieve bound states in the continuum(BIC).Here,we further demonstrate the genuine resonance mode capability of FP modes PhC slabs.Firstly,we utilize temporal coupled-mode theory to obtain the transmittance of a PhC slab based on the FP modes.Secondly,we construct exceptional points(EPs)in both momentum and parameter spaces through the coupling of FP and GR modes.Furthermore,we identify a Fermi arc connecting two EPs and discuss the far-field polarization topology.This work elucidates that the widespread FPs in PhC slabs can serve as genuine resonant modes,facilitating the realization of desired functionalities through mode coupling.

Reconfigurable(4, 6^(2)) and(4, 8^(2)) Archimedean plasma photonic crystals in dielectric barrier discharge

Archimedean photonic crystal has become a research area of great interest due to its various unique properties. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the realization of reconfigurable(4, 6^(2))and(4, 8^(2)) Archimedean plasma photonic crystals(APPCs) by use of dielectric barrier discharges in air. Dynamical control on both the macrostructures including the lattice symmetry and the crystal orientation, and the microstructures including the fine structures of scattering elements has been achieved. The formation mechanisms of APPCs are studied by time-resolved measurements together with numerical simulations. Large omnidirectional band gaps of APPCs have been obtained. The tunable topology of APPCs may offer new opportunities for fabricating multi-functional and highly-integrated microwave devices.

Topological edge and corner states of valley photonic crystals with zipper-like boundary conditions

We present a stable valley photonic crystal(VPC)unit cell with C_(3v)symmetric quasi-ring-shaped dielectric columns and realize its topological phase transition by breaking mirror symmetry.Based on this unit cell structure,topological edge states(TESs)and topological corner states(TCSs)are realized.We obtain a new type of wave transmission mode based on photonic crystal zipper-like boundaries and apply it to a beam splitter assembled from rectangular photonic crystals(PCs).The constructed beam splitter structure is compact and possesses frequency separation functions.In addition,we construct a box-shaped triangular PC structures with zipper-like boundaries and discover phenomena of TCSs in the corners,comparing its corner states with those formed by other boundaries.Based on this,we explore the regularities of the electric field patterns of TESs and TCSs,explain the connection between the characteristic frequencies and locality of TCSs,which helps better control photons and ensures low power consumption of the system.

Investigation on photonic crystal nanobeam cavity based on mixed diamond–circular holes

A photonic crystal nanobeam cavity(M-PCNC)with a structure incorporating a mixture of diamond-shaped and circular air holes is pro-posed.The performance of the cavity is simulated and studied theoretically.Using thefinite-difference time-domain method,the parameters of the M-PCNC,including cavity thickness and width,lattice constant,and radii and numbers of holes,are optimized,with the quality factor Q and mode volume Vm as performance indicators.Mutual modulation of the lattice constant and hole radius enable the proposed M-PCNC to realize outstanding performance.The optimized cavity possesses a high quality factor Q 1.45105 and an ultra-small mode=×volume Vm 0.01(λ/n)[Zeng et al.,Opt Lett 2023:48;3981–3984]in the telecommunications wavelength range.Light can be progres-=sively squeezed in both the propagation direction and the perpendicular in-plane direction by a series of interlocked anti-slots and slots in the diamond-shaped hole structure.Thereby,the energy can be confined within a small mode volume to achieve an ultra-high Q/Vm ratio.

Three-dimensional simulation of a Ka-band relativistic Cherenkov source with metal photonic-band-gap structures

This paper presents a three-dimensional particle-in-cell （PIC） simulation of a Ka-band relativistic Cherenkov source with a slow wave structure （SWS） consisting of metal photonic band gap （PBG） structures. In the simulation, a perfect match layer boundary is employed to absorb passing band modes supported by the PBG lattice with an artificial metal boundary. The simulated axial field distributions in the cross section and surface of the SWS demonstrate that the device operates in the vicinity of the π point of a TM01-1ike mode. The Fourier transformation spectra of the axial fields as functions of time and space show that only a single frequency appears at 36.27 GHz, which is in good agreement with that of the intersection of the dispersion curve with the slow space charge wave generated on the beam. The simulation results demonstrate that the SWS has good mode selectivity.

Study on ceramic photonic bandgap structure with three-dimensional diamond lattice

A novel process, which was based on powder injection molding, was investigated for the fabrication of ceramic photonic bandgap structure with three-dimensional diamond lattice. The SiO2-TiO2 ceramic powder was mixed with a water-soluble agent to produce slurry. The slurry was then injected into an epoxy mold with inverse diamond lattice, fabricated by the stereolitographic rapid prototyping process. To increase the density of the green compact, cold isostatic pressing was applied on the unit. Using thermal debinding, the water-soluble agent and the epoxy were extracted at 360 and 650 K, respectively. Sintering was immediately done at 950 K for 5 h and the desired three-dimensional ceramic structure was obtained. The calculated band diagram for this structure indicated the existence of an absolute photonic bandgap for all wave vectors. At 14.7-18.5 GHz, a complete band gap was located with a maximum attenuation of 30 dB at 17 GHz, when transmission was measured in the 〈100〉 direction between 10 and 20 GHz.

Application of Padé 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 Pad6 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 2^8-item sequence output is more exact than that obtained by fast Fourier transformation from a 2^20-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.

One-Dimensional InP-Based Photonic Crystal Quantum Cascade Laser Emitting at 5.36μm

An InP-based one-dimensional photonic crystal quantum cascade laser is realized. With photo lithography instead of electron beam lithography and using inductively coupled plasma etching, four-period air-semiconductor couples are defined as Bragg reflectors at one end of the resonator. The spectral measurement at 80K shows the quasi-continuous-wave operation with the wavelength of 5.36μm for a 22gm-wide and 2mm-long epilayer-up bonded device.

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 Padé 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.

Alumina Photonic Crystals with Defect Modes for Sensor Application

One-dimensional alumina photonic crystals with defect modes were successfully fabricated through inserting a constant voltage waveform into the periodic voltage signals. The trans-mission spectra show that the thickness of defects plays a key role in determining the trans-mittance of defect modes. When the thickness was ？180 nm, an obvious defect mode with the high transmittance of 55% and a narrow full width at half maximum of 18 nm was observed in the original photonic band gaps. The defect mode shifted linearly with the increasing of refractive index of the analytes infiltrated into pores, indicating its potential application in chemical sensing or bio-sensing.

A Study of Properties of the Photonic Band Gap of Unmagnetized Plasma Photonic Crystal

In this study, the propagation of electromagnetic waves in one-dimensional plasma photonic crystals （PPCs）, namely, superlattice structures consisting alternately of a homogeneous unmagnetized plasma and dielectric material, is simulated numerically using the finite-difference time-domain （FDTD） algorithm. A perfectly matched layer （PML） absorbing technique is used in this simulation. The reflection and transmission coefficients of electromagnetic （EM） waves through PPCs are calculated. The characteristics of the photonic band gap （PBG） are discussed in terms of plasma density, dielectric constant ratios, number of periods, and introduced layer defect. These may provide some useful information for designing plasma photonic crystal devices.

Effective permittivity and permeability of one-dimensional dielectric photonic crystal within a band gap

We take a finite dielectric photonic crystal as a homogeneous slab and have extracted the effective parameters. Our systematic study shows that the effective permittivity or permeability of dielectric photonic crystal is negative within a band gap region. This means that the band gap might act as ε-negative materials （ENMs） with ε 〈 0 and μ 〉 0, or μ-negative materials （MNMs） with ε 〉 0 and μ 〈 0. Moreover the effective parameters sensitively rely on size, surface termination, symmetry, etc. The effective parameters can be used to design full transmission tunnelling modes and amplify evanescent wave. Several cases are studied and the results show that dielectric photonic band gap can indeed mimic a single negative material （ENM or MNM） under some restrictions.