Photonic Crystal Cavities and Slowlight Waveguides in Silicon

When?

Monday 28 February 2011, 16:00

Where?

02ATI02

Open to:

Public, Staff

Speaker:

William Whelan-Curtin, St. Andrews University

As silicon possesses weak generally weak electro-optic coefficients, the creation of compact, efficient optical components tends to be challenging. Photonic Crystal cavities and waveguides can greatly enhance these otherwise weak effects and dramatically improve the applicability of silicon photonics.

The Slowlight effect is based on the interference of light scattering from each period of the lattice, which reduces the group velocity of light to a fraction of its normal value. A photonic crystal cavity confines light into a volume that is a fraction of a cubic wavelength. Both of these devices result in the large enhancements of the peak light intensity and increased sensitivity to refractive index changes.

I will present of some results from the Photonic Crystal and Microphotonics group at St Andrews and show how Photonic crystals may be used to realise compact optical switches and modulators, to enhance weak non linear effects, realise low pump power four wave mixing and third harmonic generation and improve light emission.