ABSTRACT
We study the linear discrete diffraction characteristics of light in two-dimensional backbone lattices. It is found that, as the refractive index modulation depth of the backbone lattice increases, high-order band gaps become open and broad in sequence, and the allowed band curves of the Floquet-Bloch modes become flat gradually. As a result, the diffraction pattern at the exit face converges gradually for both the on-site and off-site excitation cases. Particularly, when the refractive index modulation depth of the backbone lattice is high enough, for example, on the order of 0.01 for a square lattice, the light wave propagating in the backbone lattice will be localized in transverse dimension for both the on-site and off-site excitation cases. This is because only the first several allowed bands with nearly flat band curves are excited in the lattice, and the transverse expansion velocities of the Floquet-Bloch modes in these flat allowed bands approach to zero. Such a linear transverse localization of light may have potential applications in navigating light propagation dynamics and optical signal processing.
Subject(s)
Linear Models , Models, Theoretical , Refractometry/instrumentation , Refractometry/methods , Computer Simulation , Computer-Aided Design , Equipment Design , Equipment Failure Analysis , Light , Scattering, RadiationABSTRACT
A weakly modulated large-area two-dimensional square photonic lattice slab was fabricated through optical induction technique in a photorefractive photovoltaic LiNbO(3):Fe crystal. Bragg-matched diffraction technique was used to characterize the square photonic lattice slab. Interestingly, linear discrete diffraction typical for waveguide arrays was observed in such a square photonic lattice slab, indicating that the lattice slab can be viewed effectively as a one-dimensional waveguide array. Furthermore, discrete soliton was demonstrated in the photonic lattice slab due to a saturable self-defocusing nonlinearity arising from the bulk photorefractive photovoltaic effect of LiNbO(3):Fe.
Subject(s)
Niobium/chemistry , Oxides/chemistry , Refractometry/methods , Computer Simulation , Crystallization/methods , Light , Linear Models , Nonlinear Dynamics , Photons , Scattering, RadiationABSTRACT
We derived a recursion formula for the reflectance of the stratified and phase-shifted volume index gratings. The characteristics of the reflectance spectra of the stratified and phase-shifted volume index gratings were studied based on the recursion formula. It is shown that narrow bandwidth transparency peaks appear within the stop-band of the reflectance spectrum of the volume index gratings due to the intervention of the homogeneous buffer layers that induce the phase-shifts between neighboring volume index gratings. The spectral positions of the transparency peaks can be shifted within the stop-band by controlling the phase-shift, i.e., the buffer layer thickness. The described properties may find applications in addressable band-pass filter, switching, wavelength division multiplexing, and de-multiplexing. The dispersion near the transparency peaks of the stratified and phase-shifted volume index grating is found to be sharply enhanced as compared to the uniform volume index gratings. Significantly enhanced control on the group velocity of light by several orders of magnitude while keeping high transmittance is demonstrated in the stratified and phase-shifted volume index grating.
