Photonic crystal sensor apparatus and techniques

摘要

Apparatus and methods can include an optical waveguide coupled to a photonic crystal comprising a dielectric material, the photonic crystal located on an exterior surface of the optical waveguide and comprising a first surface including a first array of periodic features on or within the dielectric material, the array extending in at least two dimensions and including an effective dielectric permittivity different from the surrounding dielectric material. In an example, the periodic features include a specified lattice constant, the periodic features configured to extract a portion of propagating optical energy from the waveguide through the photonic crystal, the portion determined at least in part by the specified lattice constant.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
an optical waveguide configured to support propagating optical energy in a first direction; a photonic crystal comprising a dielectric material, the photonic crystal located on an exterior surface of the optical waveguide; wherein the photonic crystal comprises a surface including an array of periodic features on or within the dielectric material, the array extending in at least two dimensions and including an effective dielectric permittivity different from the surrounding dielectric material; wherein the periodic features include a specified lattice constant, the periodic features configured to extract a desired portion of the propagating optical energy from the waveguide through the photonic crystal via outcoupling the desired portion of propagating optical energy from a waveguided mode established by the waveguide to a weakly-coupled leaky mode established by the photonic crystal, the desired portion determined at least in part by the specified lattice constant; wherein the apparatus includes an optical detector optically coupled to the photonic crystal and configured to detect outcoupled optical energy extracted by the array of periodic features; and wherein a wavelength of detected outcoupled optical energy is established at least in part using information about a location on the optical detector at which the outcoupled optical energy is detected.