Description
International Conference on Photonic and Electromagnetic Crystal Structures ( PECS); 9Quantum optics and quantum information technologies require enhancement of light-matter interactionby, for example, confining light in a small volume. A very recently demonstrated route towardslight confinement makes use of multiple scattering of light and wave interference in disorderedphotonic structures [1,2]. Originally proposed for electrons by P. W. Anderson [3], only completelyrandom systems without any long-range correlation between the scattering sites have been used so far,meaning that the Anderson-localized modes cannot be controlled. In disordered photonic crystals,these modes are predicted to appear at frequencies in or near a band gap [4] providing a possible wayto control Anderson-localized modes. We have tested this hypothesis by measuring the light localizationlength, ξ, in a disordered photonic crystal waveguide (PCW) as a function of the dispersive slowdownfactor of light denoted by ng. By coupling light into a PCW with a tapered fiber (Fig. 1a), wehave measured the ensemble-averaged exponential decay of the light distribution in the range 885 nm<λ <930 nm, λ being the wavelength of light. The inset of Fig. 1b shows two different exponentialfits to the intensity decay at two different wavelengths in the fast- (black) and slow-light (red) regimes,respectively. From these fits we extract a strongly dispersive localization length (Fig. 1b). Weattribute this effect to the dispersion in the electromagnetic density of states of the waveguide modewhich determines ng of the waveguide. Our measurements demonstrate for the first time the close relationbetween light localization and density of states [5], which can be used ultimately for controllingthe extension and spectral position of Anderson-localized modes.
Place: Granada, Spain
| Period | 26 Sept 2010 → 30 Sept 2010 |
|---|---|
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Granada, SpainShow on map |