Hexapole Mode Research Articles

Photonic quasicrystal single-cell cavity mode

We propose and realize the photonic quasicrystal (PQC) single-cell resonator based on a InP-InGaAsP freestanding slab. A well-defined hexapole-like localized state following a C6ν symmetry is identified from the PQC single-cell resonator. In this type of hexapole mode, the electromagnetic energy is strongly concentrated on the dielectric region, in contrast to that in a triangular lattice photonic crystal. By tailoring the structural parameters, the hexapole mode shows a maximum theoretical quality factor of ∼20000. The PQC single-cell resonator lases in a single hexapole mode with a threshold of ∼0.6mW at room temperature.

Coupling of small, low-loss hexapole mode with photonic crystal slab waveguide mode

Coupling characteristics between the single-cell hexapole mode and the triangular-lattice photonic crystal slab waveguide mode is studied by the finite-difference time-domain method. The single-cell hexapole mode has a high quality factor (Q) of 3.3Chi106 and a small modal volume of 1.18(lambda/n)3. Based on the symmetry, three representative types of coupling geometries (shoulder-couple, butt-couple and side-couple structures) are selected and tested. The coupling efficiency shows strong dependence on the transverse overlap of the cavity mode and the waveguide mode over the region of the waveguide. The shoulder-couple structure shows best coupling characteristics among three tested structures. For example, two shouldercouple waveguides and a hexapole cavity result in a high performance resonant-tunneling-filter with Q of 9.7Chi105 and transmittance of 0.48. In the side-couple structure, the coupling strength is much weaker than that of the shoulder-couple structure because of the poor spatial overlap between the mode profiles. In the direct-couple structure, the energy transfer from the cavity to the waveguide is prohibited because of the symmetry mismatch and no coupling is observed.

High-quality-factor and small-mode-volume hexapole modes in photonic-crystal-slab nanocavities

Using finite-difference time-domain calculations, we investigate the hexapole mode of photonic-crystal-slab modified triangular single-defect cavity structures as a good candidate for a high-quality factor (Q) and small-mode volume (V) resonant mode. Structural parameters are optimized to obtain very large Q of even higher than 2×106 with small effective V of the order of cubic wavelength in material, the record value of theoretical Q/V. It is found, by the Fourier-space investigation of resonant modes, that such a high Q from the hexapole mode is achieved due both to the cancellation mechanism related to hexagonally symmetric whispering-gallery-mode distribution and to the mode delocalization mechanism.

Characteristics of modified single-defect two-dimensional photonic crystal lasers

The resonant modes found in a modified single-defect two-dimensional photonic crystal slab structure are theoretically and experimentally studied. There exist several modes in the band gap: doubly degenerate (dipole and quadrupole modes) and nondegenerate (hexapole and monopole modes). Among them, the monopole mode specifically attracts our interest because of its nondegeneracy, good coupling with the gain medium, and existence of the intensity minimum at the center of the cavity, which would open up the chance for the electrically driven single-defect laser. The nondegenerate hexapole mode, a special type of whispering gallery mode, has a very high quality factor. We have fabricated two types of modified single-defect lasers, i.e., air-based free-standing and SiO/sub 2/-based epoxy-bonded structures. Rich lasing actions in both structures are experimentally observed under optically pulsed pumping conditions at room temperature. In the free-standing slab structure, photons are strongly confined in vertical direction, and the lasing operations of all resonant modes with low thresholds are obtained. Especially, the nondegenerate monopole-mode laser is confirmed to have a large spontaneous emission factor of >0.06, estimated by analyzing rate equations. In the SiO/sub 2/-based slab structure, thermal properties are improved at the expense of vertical losses.