Centimeter-scale suspended photonic crystal mirrors.

Demand for lightweight, highly reflective and mechanically compliant mirrors for optics experiments has seen a significant surge. In this aspect, photonic crystal (PhC) membranes are ideal alternatives to conventional mirrors, as they provide high reflectivity with only a single suspended layer of patterned dielectric material. However, due to limitations in nanofabrication, these devices are usually not wider than 300 μm. Here we experimentally demonstrate suspended PhC mirrors spanning areas up to 10 × 10 mm2. We overcome limitations imposed by the size of the PhC and measure reflectivities greater than 90 % on 56 nm thick mirrors at a wavelength of 1550 nm-an unrivaled performance compared to PhC mirrors with micro scale diameters. These structures bridge the gap between nano scale technologies and macroscopic optical elements.