Optically induced indirect photonic transitions in a slow light photonic crystal waveguide

We demonstrate indirect photonic transitions in a silicon slow light photonic crystal waveguide. The transitions are driven by an optically generated refractive index front that moves along the waveguide and interacts with a signal pulse copropagating in the structure. We experimentally confirm a theoretical model which indicates that the ratio of the frequency and wave vector shifts associated with the indirect photonic transition is identical to the propagation velocity of the refractive index front. The physical origin of the transitions achieved here is fundamentally different than in previously proposed refractive index modulation concepts with fixed temporal and spatial modulation frequencies; as here, the interaction with the refractive index front results in a Doppler-like signal frequency and wave vector shift. Consequently, the bandwidth over which perfect mode frequency and wave vector matching is achieved is not intrinsically limited by the shape of the photonic bands, and tuning of the indirect photonic transitions is possible without any need for geometrical modifications of the structure. Our device is genuinely nonreciprocal, as it provides different frequency shifts for co- and counterpropagating signal and index fronts. © 2014 American Physical Society.

DDC Class

530: Physik

600: Technik

620: Ingenieurwissenschaften

Funding Organisations

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)

National Key Basic Research Special Foundation, China

National Natural Science Foundation of China

Guangdong Natural Science Foundation

U.K. Silicon Photonics Consortium

More Funding Information

M. C. M., A. Y. P., and M. E. acknowledge the support of the German Research Foundation under Grant No. EI 391/13-2, and appreciate the support of CST, Darmstadt, Germany, with their Finite Integration Software Microwave Studio. J. L. acknowledges the support of the
National Key Basic Research Special Foundation (2010CB923200), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (11204386), and Guangdong Natural Science Foundation (S2012040007812). T. F. K. and L. O’F acknowledge support by the EPSRC through the U.K. Silicon Photonics consortium.

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http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Publisher‘s Creditline

To cite this version: Michel Castellanos Muñoz, Alexander Yu. Petrov, Liam O’Faolain, Juntao Li, Thomas F. Krauss, and Manfred Eich. Optically Induced Indirect Photonic Transitions in a Slow Light Photonic
Crystal Waveguide. Physical Review Letters, American Physical Society, 2014, 112 (5), pp. 053904. 10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.053904.

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Optically induced indirect photonic transitions in a slow light photonic crystal waveguide