Beam-bending in spatially variant photonic crystals at telecommunications wavelengths

Jennefir L. Digaum; Rashi Sharma; Daniel Batista; Javier J. Pazos; Raymond C. Rumpf; Stephen M. Kuebler

doi:10.1117/12.2213276

14 March 2016 Beam-bending in spatially variant photonic crystals at telecommunications wavelengths

Jennefir L. Digaum, Rashi Sharma, Daniel Batista, Javier J. Pazos, Raymond C. Rumpf, Stephen M. Kuebler

Proceedings Volume 9759, Advanced Fabrication Technologies for Micro/Nano Optics and Photonics IX; 975911 (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2213276
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2016, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

This work reports the fabrication of micron-scale spatially variant photonic crystals (SVPCs) and their use for steering light beams through turns with bending radius R_bend on the order of ten times the optical wavelength λ₀. Devices based on conventional photonic crystals, metamaterials, plasmonics and transformation optics have all been explored for controlling light beams and steering them through tight turns. These devices offer promise for photonic interconnects, but they are based on exotic materials, including metals, that make them impractically lossy or difficult to fabricate. Waveguides can also be used to steer light using total internal reflection; however, R_bend of a waveguide must be hundreds of times λ₀ to guide light efficiently, which limits their use in optical circuits. SVPCs are spatially variant 3D lattices which can be created in transparent, low-refractive-index media and used to control the propagation of light through the self-collimation effect. SVPCs were fabricated by multi-photon lithography using the commercially available photo-polymer IP-DIP. The SVPCs were structurally and optically characterized and found to be capable of bending light having λ₀ = 1.55 μm through a 90-degree turn with R_bend = 10 μm. Curved waveguides with R_bend = 15 μm and 35 μm were also fabricated using IP-DIP and optically characterized. The SVPCs were able to steer the light beams through tighter turns than either waveguide and with higher efficiency.

Citation Download Citation

Jennefir L. Digaum, Rashi Sharma, Daniel Batista, Javier J. Pazos, Raymond C. Rumpf, and Stephen M. Kuebler "Beam-bending in spatially variant photonic crystals at telecommunications wavelengths", Proc. SPIE 9759, Advanced Fabrication Technologies for Micro/Nano Optics and Photonics IX, 975911 (14 March 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2213276

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