Using the Dispersive Properties of Photonic Crystals for Optical Communication

Stanford University, Stanford CA

Investigators

Abstract

Our objective in this proposal is to explore the use of the spatial and temporal dispersion characteristics of photonic crystals and related structures for optical communication applications. Photonic crystals are artificial microstructures where the index of refraction is strongly modulated at a length scale comparable to the wavelength. They provide a new mechanism for the manipulation of light. In particular, several unique characteristics of photonic crystals make them a particularly intriguing material system for novel components in optical communication systems. The crystals exhibit strong spatial dispersion characteristics. These characteristics have been exploited in the super-prism effect. The crystals also possess large temporal dispersion effects, such as large group delay, strong chromatic dispersion, and significant polarization dependency. Thus, photonic crystals may hold tremendous potential in performing some of the critical functionality in optical communications, such as tunable optical delay, dynamic dispersion compensation and mitigation, and wavelength division multiplexing and demultiplexing. To realize the potentials of photonic crystals, however, it is critically important to understand how photonic crystal structures can be engineered to meet the stringent requirements of optical communications. For example, a fundamental challenge for high bit rate applications is to achieve significant dispersive effects with a large enough bandwidth that is sufficient to cover the signal of interest. For wavelength division multiplexing, for example, it is important to provide sufficiently low dispersion constant over the wavelength range of interest. Understanding how to go about designing such structures will require a deeper understanding of device principles that could give such behaviors. We therefore propose to undertake a project that will systematically examine some of the fundamental dispersive properties of photonic crystals and related structures, in the context of optical communication applications. The proposed activities will be theoretical and computational in their nature. A key objective here, however, is to produce designs of novel and functional structures that are experimentally feasible, and to answer questions that are of immediate experimental relevance and importance. In doing so we seek to directly impact wide ranges of experimental efforts that are already ongoing in this emerging area of photonic crystal technology.