Abstract

The dynamic modulation of wide bandwidth and low-dispersion slow light with continuous variation of group index $n_g$ is realized in a polymer-filled photonic crystal waveguide (PF-PCW) with optimal structure. By adjusting the unified radius of air holes under a different refractive index of polymer in the first two rows of holes adjacent to the defect, the structure optimization of PF-PCW is first studied, then the fixed optimal structure is obtained. In the optimal photonic crystal waveguide with hole radius $r_0=0.328a$, a fixed refractive index $n_1=1.74$ of polymer in the first-row holes, and by adjusting refractive index $n_2$, the flattened wideband slow light with large normalized delay bandwidth product of group index from 17.15 to 55.65 has been demonstrated. Then, by filling polymer with electro-optic effect into the second-row holes, the dynamic modulation of the optimized slow light in PF-PCW is investigated. The simulation shows that the center operating frequency slightly shifts linearly to a higher one, and the average group index increases exponentially from 33.943 to 75.546 with a normalized delay bandwidth product larger than 0.3089 as the applied voltage increases. The modulation sensitivity of the average group index is about 0.3467/V when applied voltages vary from 0 V to 120 V. These results open the possibility for the dynamic control of slow light according to the practical requirements of flexibility and tunability.

© 2017 Optical Society of America

Wideband and low dispersion slow-light waveguide based on a photonic crystal with crescent-shaped air holes

Bo Meng, Ling-ling Wang, Wei-qing Huang, Xiao-fei Li, Xiang Zhai, and Hong Zhang
Appl. Opt. 51(23) 5735-5742 (2012)

Wideband slab photonic crystal waveguides for slow light using differential optofluidic infiltration

Amir Khodamohammadi, Habib Khoshsima, Vahid Fallahi, and Mostafa Sahrai
Appl. Opt. 54(5) 1002-1009 (2015)

Theoretical research on slow light engineering of slotted photonic crystal waveguides with elliptical holes and optofluidic infiltration

Ya-nan Zhang, Yong Zhao, and Jin Li
Appl. Opt. 54(7) 1639-1646 (2015)

Wideband slow light with ultralow dispersion in a W1 photonic crystal waveguide

Jian Liang, Li-Yong Ren, Mao-Jin Yun, and Xing-Jun Wang
Appl. Opt. 50(31) G98-G103 (2011)

Wideband slow light in photonic crystal slab waveguide based on geometry adjustment and optofluidic infiltration

Morteza Janfaza and Mohammad Ali Mansouri-Birjandi
Appl. Opt. 52(34) 8184-8189 (2013)