One-dimensional photonic bandgap microcavities for strong optical confinement in GaAs and GaAs/Al/sub x/O/sub y/ semiconductor waveguides

Abstract

Photonic bandgap (PBG) waveguide microcavities with tightly confined resonant optical modes have been designed, fabricated using high-dielectric-contrast GaAs/Al/sub x/O/sub y/ III-V compound semiconductor structures, and characterized optically. The photonic crystal lattices are defined by one-dimensional (1-D) arrays of holes in waveguides, and a controlled defect in the spacing between two holes of an array defines a microcavity. Waveguide microcavity resonances have been studied in both monorail and suspended air-bridge geometries. Resonance states with cavity Q's as high as 360 were measured at wavelengths near 1.55 /spl mu/m, with modal volumes as small as 0.026 /spl mu/m, which corresponds to only two times (/spl lambda//2n)/sup 3/.