Abstract

It is now well-established that semiconductor- based slab waveguides textured with a deep, 2-dimensional (2D) periodic pattern of holes exhibit a rich photonic bandstructure. In particular, we have recently reported the dispersion, polarization and lifetimes of resonant or “leaky” photonic eigenstates that can be excited directly from the vacuum half-space above the waveguide.¹ These eigenstates are principally composed of superpositions of TE and TM slab-like modes with wavevectors on the order of the reciprocal space vectors that define the dielectric lattice. I he finite lifetimes are associated with a relatively small component of their Bloch states that is phase matched to radiate into the vacuum above, and into the substrate below.

© 2001 Optical Society of America