Engineering light using large area photonic crystal devices

Photonic crystals are fabricated structures composed of a periodic arrangement of materials with differing indices of refraction. This research has focused on the realization of two distinct photonic crystal structures in which large area has played a key role: 1) large area broadband saturable Bragg reflectors, and 2) large area 2D photonic crystal devices. Saturable Bragg reflectors (SBRs) can be used to self-start ultra-short pulse generation in a variety of solid state and fiber lasers. To form shorter pulses, SBRs with broadband reflectivity and large area (100's of [mu]m) are required. This thesis describes the design and fabrication of large area broadband saturable Bragg reflectors through the monolithic integration of semiconductor saturable absorbers with large area broadband Bragg mirrors. One of the key elements for realizing this device is the development of a wet oxidation process to create buried low-index ... layers over large areas. Large area 2D photonic crystals enable new methods for routing and guiding light with applications in compact integrated optical circuits. This research has explored the design and fabrication of two large area (centimeter-scale) 2D photonic crystal devices: a superprism and a super- collimator.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2005

Author dc:creator

• Tandon, Sheila (Sheila N.), 1978-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Leslie A. Kolodziejski.

• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/33931
• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Identifier URI

http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/33931

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/33931