Photonic band structure calculations using scattering matrices

Diffraction of acoustic waves by multiple semi-infinite arraysa)

Analytical methods are fundamental in studying acoustics problems. One of the important tools is the Wiener-Hopf method, which can be used to solve many canonical problems with sharp transitions in boundary conditions on a plane/plate. However, there are some strict limitations to its use, usually the boundary conditions need to be imposed on parallel lines (after a suitable mapping). Such mappings exist for wedges with continuous boundaries, but for discrete boundaries, they have not yet been constructed. In our previous article, we have overcome this limitation and studied the diffraction of acoustic waves by a wedge consisting of point scatterers. Here, the problem is generalised to an arbitrary number of periodic semi-infinite arrays with arbitrary orientations. This is done by constructing several coupled systems of equations (one for every semi-infinite array) which are treated independently. The derived systems of equations are solved using the discrete Wiener-Hopf technique and the resulting matrix equation is inverted using elementary matrix arithmetic. Of course, numerically this matrix needs to be truncated, but we are able to do so such that thousands of scatterers on every array are included in the numerical results. Comparisons with other numerical methods are considered, and their strengths/weaknesses are highlighted.

A 1D binary photonic crystal sensor for detecting fat concentrations in commercial milk

Our goal in this study is to design an efficient sensor to detect the fat volume in commercial milk. We used a one-dimensional binary photonic crystal to design the sensor and the Transfer Matrix Method to study theoretically its optical response as the refractive index of milk samples changes due to the change in fat concentration. We found that the proposed sensor is efficient in sensing the fat concentration in milk. The optimum defect layer thickness is found to be 1.20 μm and the sensitivity of the sensor improved as the angle of incidence of radiation increased up to 60°. Besides, we proposed an empirical formula that can be used to estimate the fat concentration in milk. The efficiency of our sensor is based on the quick response of the sensor to the changes in the fat concentration in milk. The output signal of the sensor would be processed in a signal processing unit that will give an accurate estimation of the fat concentration in milk. The sensor is easy to fabricate, cost-effective, and user-friendly.

Complex Dispersion Relation Recovery from 2D Periodic Resonant Systems of Finite Size

The complex dispersion relations along the main symmetry directions of two-dimensional finite size periodic arrangements of resonant or non-resonant scatterers are recovered by using an extension of the SLaTCoW (Spatial LAplace Transform for COmplex Wavenumber) method. This method relies on the analysis of the spatial Laplace transform instead of the usual spatial Fourier transform of the measured wavefield in the frequency domain. We apply this method to finite dimension square periodic arrangements of both rigid and resonant scatterers embedded in air, i.e., to finite size sonic crystals and finite size acoustic metamaterials, respectively. The main hypothesis considered in this work is the mirror symmetry of the finite structure with respect to its median axis along the analyzed direction. However, we show that the method is robust enough to provide excellent results even if this hypothesis is not fully satisfied. Effectively, a minor asymmetry could be considered as a side effect when the structure is large enough because Laplace transforming the field along the main symmetry directions also implies averaging the field in the perpendicular one. The calculated complex dispersion relations are in excellent agreement with those obtained by an already validated technique, like the Extended Plane Wave Expansion (EPWE). The methodology employed in this work is intended to be directly used for the experimental characterization of real 2D periodic and resonant systems.

Band structure analysis of leaky Bloch waves in 2D phononic crystal plates

A hybrid Finite Element-Plane Wave Expansion method is presented for the band structure analysis of phononic crystal plates with two dimensional lattice that are in contact with acoustic half-spaces. The method enables the computation of both real (propagative) and imaginary (attenuation) components of the Bloch wavenumber at any given frequency. Three numerical applications are presented: a benchmark dispersion analysis for an oil-loaded Titanium isotropic plate, the band structure analysis of a water-loaded Tungsten slab with square cylindrical cavities and a phononic crystal plate composed of Aurum cylinders embedded in an epoxy matrix.

Roundtrip matrix method for calculating the leaky resonant modes of open nanophotonic structures

We present a numerical method for calculating quasi-normal modes of open nanophotonic structures. The method is based on scattering matrices and a unity eigenvalue of the roundtrip matrix of an internal cavity, and we develop it in detail with electromagnetic fields expanded on Bloch modes of periodic structures. This procedure is simpler to implement numerically and more intuitive than previous scattering matrix methods, and any routine based on scattering matrices can benefit from the method. We demonstrate the calculation of quasi-normal modes for two-dimensional photonic crystals where cavities are side-coupled and in-line-coupled to an infinite W1 waveguide, and we show that the scattering spectrum of these types of cavities can be reconstructed from the complex quasi-normal mode frequency.

Semi-analytic impedance modeling of three-dimensional photonic and metamaterial structures

We define the concept of an impedance matrix for three-dimensional (3D) photonic and metamaterial structures relative to a reference medium and show that it satisfies a matrix generalization of the basic algebraic properties of the wave impedance between homogeneous media. This definition of the impedance matrix is motivated by the structure of the Fresnel reflection and transmission matrices at the interface between the media. In the derivation of the Fresnel scattering matrices, the field in each medium is expressed by a Bloch mode expansion, with field matching at the interface being undertaken in a least-squares manner by exploiting a biorthogonality relation between primal and adjoint Bloch modes. A semi-analytic technique, based on the impedance matrix, is developed for modeling the scattering of light by 3D periodic photonic and metamaterial structures. The advantages (in design and intuition) of the formalism are demonstrated through two applications.

Transmission, trapping and filtering of waves in periodically constrained elastic plates

The paper discusses properties of flexural waves in elastic plates constrained periodically by rigid pins. A structured interface consists of rigid pin platonic gratings parallel to each other. Although the gratings have the same periodicity, relative shifts in horizontal and vertical directions are allowed. We develop a recurrence algorithm for constructing reflection and transmission matrices required to characterize the filtering of plane waves by the structured interface with shifted gratings. The representations of scattered fields contain both propagating and evanescent terms. Special attention is given to the analysis of trapped modes which may exist within the system of rigid pin gratings. Analytical findings are accompanied by numerical examples for systems of two and three gratings. We show geometries containing three gratings in which transmission resonances have very high quality factors (around 35 000). We also show that controlled lateral shifts of three gratings can give rise to a transmission peak with a sharp central suppression region, akin to the phenomenon of electromagnetic-induced transparency.

Coupled waveguide modes in hexagonal photonic crystals

We investigate the modes of coupled waveguides in a hexagonal photonic crystal. We find that for a substantial parameter range the coupled waveguide modes have dispersion relations exhibiting multiple intersections, which we explain both intuitively and using a rigorous tight-binding argument.

Analysis of semi-infinite periodic structures using a domain reduction technique

A new boundary condition is introduced to calculate the effective impedance matrix of semi-infinite periodic structures such as photonic crystals and metamaterials, which leads to a reduction of the solution space. The obtained effective impedance matrix allows one to relate a matrix to a PC, which includes all of its properties in terms of reflection from its interface. For one-dimensional photonic crystals or multilayer films, it is shown that a closed-form equation can be found for the effective impedance. For two-dimensional photonic crystals the impedance is obtained using the scattering matrices by solving a unilateral quadratic matrix equation. Several examples are outlined to validate the developed scheme. In the examples, the goal is mainly the computation of the reflection from a semi-infinite periodic structure when a plane wave illuminates its boundary.

Reduced Bloch mode expansion for periodic media band structure calculations

Reduced Bloch mode expansion (RBME) is presented for fast periodic media band structure calculations. The expansion employs a natural basis composed of a selected reduced set of Bloch eigenfunctions. The reduced basis is selected within the irreducible Brillouin zone at high symmetry points determined by the medium’s crystal structure and group theory (and possibly at additional related points). At each of the reciprocal lattice selection points, a number of Bloch eigenfunctions are selected up to the frequency/energy range of interest for the band structure calculations. As it is common to initially discretize the periodic unit cell and solution field using some choice of basis, RBME is practically a secondary expansion that uses a selected set of Bloch eigenvectors. Such expansion therefore keeps, and builds on, any favourable attributes a primary expansion approach might exhibit. Being in line with the well-known concept of modal analysis, the proposed approach maintains accuracy while reducing the computation time by up to two orders of magnitudes or more depending on the size and extent of the calculations. Results are presented for phononic, photonic and electronic band structures.

Efficient analysis of photonic crystal devices by Dirichlet-to-Neumann maps

An efficient numerical method based on the Dirichlet-to-Neumann (DtN) maps of the unit cells is developed for accurate simulations of two-dimensional photonic crystal (PhC) devices in the frequency domain. The DtN map of a unit cell is an operator that maps the wave field on the boundary of the cell to its normal derivative and it can be approximated by a small matrix. Using the DtN maps of the regular and defect unit cells, we can avoid computations in the interiors of the unit cells and calculate the wave field only on the edges. This gives rise to a significant reduction in the total number of unknowns. Reasonably accurate solutions can be obtained using 10 to 15 unknowns for each unit cell. In contrast, standard finite element, finite difference or plane wave expansion methods may require a few hundreds unknowns for each unit cell at the same level of accuracy. We illustrate our method by a number of examples, including waveguide bends, branches, microcavities coupled with waveguides, waveguides with stubs, etc.

Photonic bandgap calculations with Dirichlet-to-Neumann maps

A simple and efficient method for computing bandgap structures of two-dimensional photonic crystals is presented. Using the Dirichlet-to-Neumann (DtN) map of the unit cell, the bandgaps are calculated as an eigenvalue problem for each given frequency, where the eigenvalue is related to the Bloch wave vector. A linear matrix eigenvalue problem is obtained even when the medium is dispersive. For photonic crystals composed of a square lattice of parallel cylinders, the DtN map is obtained by a cylindrical wave expansion. This leads to eigenvalue problems for relatively small matrices. Unlike other methods based on cylindrical wave expansions, sophisticated lattice sums techniques are not needed.

Wide-angle coupling into rod-type photonic crystals with ultralow reflectance

We describe the surprising phenomenon of near-perfect coupling from free space into uniform two-dimensional rod-type photonic crystals over a wide range of incident angles. This behavior is shown to be a generic feature of many rod-type photonic crystal structures that is related to strong forward scattering resonances of the individual cylinders. We explain these results using both semianalytic analysis and two-dimensional numerical calculations and identify the conditions under which efficient, wide-angle coupling can occur. The results may lead to more efficient designs for in-band photonic crystal devices such as superprisms and self-collimation based photonic circuits.

Diamagnetic response of metallic photonic crystals at infrared and visible frequencies

We show analytically and numerically that diamagnetic response (effective magnetic permeability mue<1) at infrared and visible frequencies can be achieved in photonic crystals composed of metallic nanowires or nanospheres when the wavelength is much larger than the lattice constant a (lambda approximately 2000a). When lambda approximately100a, the metallic photonic crystals will exhibit strong diamagnetic response (mue<0.8), leading to many interesting phenomena such as the unusual Brewster angle for s waves and incident-angle-and-polarization-independent reflection and transmission.

Two-dimensional treatment of the level shift and decay rate in photonic crystals

We present a comprehensive treatment of the level shift and decay rate of a model line source in a two-dimensional photonic crystal (2D PC) composed of circular cylinders. The quantities in this strictly two-dimensional system are determined by the two-dimensional local density of states (2D LDOS), which we compute using Rayleigh-multipole methods. We extend the critical point analysis that is traditionally applied to the 2D DOS (or decay rate) to the level shift. With this, we unify the crucial quantity for experiment--the 2D LDOS in a finite PC--with the band structure and the 2D DOS, 2D LDOS, and level shift in infinite PC's. Consistent with critical point analysis, large variations in the level shift are associated with large variations in the 2D DOS (and 2D LDOS), corroborating a giant anomalous Lamb shift. The boundary of a finite 2D PC can produce resonances that cause the 2D LDOS in a finite 2D PC to differ markedly from the 2D LDOS in an infinite 2D PC.

Modeling of defect modes in photonic crystals using the fictitious source superposition method

We present an exact theory for modeling defect modes in two-dimensional photonic crystals having an infinite cladding. The method is based on three key concepts, namely, the use of fictitious sources to modify response fields that allow defects to be introduced, the representation of the defect mode field as a superposition of solutions of quasiperiodic field problems, and the simplification of the two-dimensional superposition to a more efficient, one-dimensional average using Bloch mode methods. We demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the method, comparing results obtained using alternative techniques, and then concentrate on its strengths, particularly in handling difficult problems, such as where a mode is highly extended near cutoff, that cannot be dealt with in other ways.

Wide-angle beam splitting by use of positive-negative refraction in photonic crystals

We present a positive-negative refraction effect in which, under certain conditions, an incident plane wave launched into a photonic crystal excites a positive-refracted Bloch wave and a negative-refracted Bloch wave simultaneously, both of which maintain the polarization. By utilizing this phenomenon, wide-angle beam splitting can be realized at the microscale level. Numerical simulations are employed to demonstrate this anomalous refraction behavior.

Bloch mode scattering matrix methods for modeling extended photonic crystal structures. I. Theory

We present a rigorous Bloch mode scattering matrix method for modeling two-dimensional photonic crystal structures and discuss the formal properties of the formulation. Reciprocity and energy conservation considerations lead to modal orthogonality relations and normalization, both of which are required for mode calculations in inhomogeneous media. Relations are derived for studying the propagation of Bloch modes through photonic crystal structures, and for the reflection and transmission of these modes at interfaces with other photonic crystal structures.

Applying a modified plane-wave expansion method to the calculations of transmittivity and reflectivity of a semi-infinite photonic crystal

We propose a modified plane-wave expansion method to calculate transmittivity and reflectivity of a semi-infinite photonic crystal (PC) with interface. This method is based on an expanded completeness basis, including both the propagation and evanescence modes. We use this approach to deal with two kinds of problems: one is to determine the normal direction of the largest attenuation strength for a semi-infinite PC in the gap frequencies; the other is to calculate the transmittivity and reflectivity of a PC slab. To demonstrate the extensive utilization of our approach, we revisit the same system as studied by Phys. Rev. B 52, 8992 (1995)] and find that our results are in good agreement with ones obtained by Sakoda's paper.

Modes of coupled photonic crystal waveguides

We consider the modes of coupled photonic crystal waveguides. We find that the fundamental modes of these structures can be either even or odd, in contrast with the behavior in coupled conventional waveguides, in which the fundamental mode is always even. We explain this finding using an asymptotic model that is valid for long wavelengths.

Density of states functions for photonic crystals

We discuss density of states functions for photonic crystals, in the context of the two-dimensional problem for arrays of cylinders of arbitrary cross section. We introduce the mutual density of states (MDOS), and show that this function can be used to calculate both the local density of states (LDOS), which gives position information for emission of radiation from photonic crystals, and the spectral density of states (SDOS), which gives angular information. We establish the connection between MDOS, LDOS, SDOS and the conventional density of states, which depends only on frequency. We relate all four functions to the band structure and propagating states within the crystal, and give numerical examples of the relation between band structure and density of states functions.

Effects of disorder in two-dimensional photonic crystal waveguides

The effects of randomness on the guiding properties of waveguides embedded in disordered two-dimensional photonic crystals composed of a finite cluster of circular cylinders of infinite length are investigated for TM-polarized radiation. Different degrees of disorder in the radius, filling fraction, refractive index, and position are considered for both straight and 90 degrees bent guides. The crystals exhibit similar sensitivity to refractive index and radius disorder, with a degree of disorder from 15%-20% yielding little substantial change in the guiding properties. A smaller range of position disorder is also considered. For strong disorder in radius and refractive index, the guide effectively closes. These results were obtained by a Monte Carlo simulation method, and the performance of this method is analyzed. The method requires at least ten realizations in some cases for convergence to commence; substantially more realizations are required for moderate and strong disorder to achieve accurate results.

Analysis of bandgap characteristics of two-dimensional periodic structures by using the source-model technique

We introduce a solution based on the source-model technique for periodic structures for the problem of electromagnetic scattering by a two-dimensional photonic bandgap crystal slab illuminated by a transverse-magnetic plane wave. The proposed technique takes advantage of the periodicity of the slab by solving the problem within the unit cell of the periodic structure. The results imply the existence of a frequency bandgap and provide a valuable insight into the relationship between the dimensions of a finite periodic structure and its frequency bandgap characteristics. A comparison shows a discrepancy between the frequency bandgap obtained for a very thick slab and the bandgap obtained by solving the corresponding two-dimensionally infinite periodic structure. The final part of the paper is devoted to explaining in detail this apparent discrepancy.

Semianalytic treatment for propagation in finite photonic crystal waveguides

We present a semianalytic theory for the properties of two-dimensional photonic crystal waveguides of finite length. For single-mode guides, the transmission spectrum and field intensity can be accurately described by a simple two-parameter model. Analogies are drawn with Fabry-Perot interferometers, and generalized Fresnel coefficients for the interfaces are calculated.

Cylinder gratings in conical incidence with applications to woodpile structures

We use our previous formulation for cylinder gratings in conical incidence to discuss the photonic band gap properties of woodpile structures. We study scattering matrices and Bloch modes of the woodpile, and use these to investigate the dependence of the optical properties on the number of layers. We give data on reflectance, transmittance and absorptance of metallic woodpiles as a function of wavelength and number of layers, using both the measured optical constants of tungsten and using a perfect conductivity idealization to characterize the metal. For semi-infinite metallic woodpiles, we show that polarization of the incident field is important, highlighting the role played by surface effects as opposed to lattice effects.

Photonic band structures solved by a plane-wave-based transfer-matrix method

Transfer-matrix methods adopting a plane-wave basis have been routinely used to calculate the scattering of electromagnetic waves by general multilayer gratings and photonic crystal slabs. In this paper we show that this technique, when combined with Bloch's theorem, can be extended to solve the photonic band structure for 2D and 3D photonic crystal structures. Three different eigensolution schemes to solve the traditional band diagrams along high-symmetry lines in the first Brillouin zone of the crystal are discussed. Optimal rules for the Fourier expansion over the dielectric function and electromagnetic fields with discontinuities occurring at the boundary of different material domains have been employed to accelerate the convergence of numerical computation. Application of this method to an important class of 3D layer-by-layer photonic crystals reveals the superior convergency of this different approach over the conventional plane-wave expansion method.

Cylinder gratings in conical incidence with applications to modes of air-cored photonic crystal fibers

We develop a formulation for cylinder gratings in conical incidence, using a multipole method. The theory, and its numerical implementation, is applied to two-dimensional photonic crystals consisting of a stack of one-dimensional gratings, each characterized by its plane wave scattering matrix. These matrices are used in combination with Bloch's theorem to determine the band structure of the photonic crystal from the solution of an eigenvalue problem. We show that the theory is well adapted to the difficult task of locating the complete band gaps needed to support air-guided modes in microstructured optical fibers, that is, optical fibers in which the confinement of light in a central air hole is achieved by photonic band-gap effects in a periodic cladding comprising a lattice of air holes in a glass matrix.

From scattering or impedance matrices to Bloch modes of photonic crystals

The dispersion relation of Bloch waves is derived from the properties of a single grating layer. A straightforward way to impose the Bloch condition leads to the calculation of the eigenvalues of the transfer matrix through the single grating layer. Unfortunately, the transfer-matrix algorithm is known to be unstable as a result of the growing evanescent waves. This problem appears again in the calculation of the eigenvalues, making unusable the transfer matrix in numerous practical problems. We propose two different algorithms to circumvent this problem. The first one takes advantage of scattering matrices, while the second one takes advantage of impedance matrices. Numerical evidence of the efficiency of the algorithms is given. Dispersion diagrams of simple cubic and woodpile photonic crystals are obtained by using, respectively, the scattering and impedance matrices.