Localisation and disorder in the design of 2D photonic crystal devices

Abstract

Photonic crystals are meta-materials that can inhibit the propagation of light in all directions for specific wavelength ranges. Material or structural defects can be introduced into the crystal to cause localised modes, providing the ability to mould the flow of light on the wavelength scale and allowing the development of miniaturised, integrated photonic devices. For this reason, photonic crystals will likely be key building blocks for future micro-optical and communication technology. In this paper, we examine the Bloch mode modelling of 2D photonic crystal structures with application to the analysis of photonic crystal waveguides and their susceptibility to disorder, which provides a framework for studying fabrication tolerances in realistic devices.