Inverse-Designed Photonic Crystal Circuits for Optical Beam Steering

The ability of photonic crystal waveguides (PCWs) to confine and slow down light makes them an ideal component enhance the performance various devices, such as optical modulators or sensors. However, integration PCWs in applications poses design challenges, most notably, engineering PCW mode dispersion creating efficient coupling devices. Here, we solve these challenges with inverse design, experimentally demonstrate a slow-light phased array (OPA) wide steering range. Even odd are engineered for group index 25, over bandwidth 20nm 12nm, respectively. Additionally, both designs, create strip waveguide couplers free-space vertical couplers. Finally, also relying on radiative losses engineered, allowing us construct OPAs 20° range bandwidth.