Nondiffractive propagation of light in photonic crystals

Light propagation control by finite - size effects in photonic crystals

We exhibit the strong influence on light propagation of the finite size in photonic band-gap material. We show that light emission can be controlled by the symmetry group of the boundary of the finite device. These results lead simply to important practical applications. Photonic crystals are expected to permit the realization of devices for integrated optics or laser microcavities [1–5]. The t...

Slow light in photonic crystals

The velocity of light in vacuum, c, is approximately 3 × 108 m s–1, fast enough to make 7.5 round-the-world trips in a single second, and to move a distance of 300 mm in 1 ns. This ultrahigh speed is advantageous for efficient data transmission between two points, whether they are separated on a global scale or on a single chip; however, it also makes control of optical signals in the time doma...

Slow light in photonic crystals

The problem of slowing down light by orders of magnitude has been extensively discussed in the literature. Such a possibility can be useful in a variety of optical and microwave applications. Many qualitatively different approaches have been explored. Here we discuss how this goal can be achieved in linear dispersive media, such as photonic crystals. The existence of slowly propagating electrom...

Optical pulse propagation in nonlinear photonic crystals.

We present a formalism for optical pulse propagation in nonlinear photonic crystals of arbitrary dimensionality. Using a multiple-scale analysis, we derive the dynamical nonlinear Schrödinger equation obeyed by the envelope function modulating an underlying Bloch function. Effective coefficients appear in that equation characterizing the effects of Kerr nonlinearity, linear gain or loss, and ma...

Photonic crystals boost light emission