Applications of Photonic Band Gap Media

Navin Bhat

     Photonic crystals are periodic dielectric structures in which the
modulation of the dielectric constant leads to a significantly modified mode
structure.  The central feature here is that electromagnetic modes do not exist
for a continuous range of frequencies that can be wider than an atomic
linewidth.  This gap in the mode structure is termed a photonic band gap (PBG),
and is analogous to the electronic band gap that gives semiconductors their
useful properties.  Many potential applications have been identified; however,
the field is young and to date little has been realized.  Challenges remain in
the area of fabrication of 3-dimensional PBGs at optical and microwave
frequencies.
     In this 25 minute presentation, I will briefly outline the history
and state of the art of the young field of PBG research; subsequently, the
majority of the talk will focus on the potential applications of PBGs.  The
discussion of the applications of PBGs will begin with the introduction of four
generic applications:  inhibition of spontaneous emission, selective
high-reflectivity mirror action at gap frequencies, defect modes as high Q
cavities, and line defect waveguides.  A small number of specific applications
will also be discussed:  efficient microwave antennae for integrated circuits
(simplest), zero-threshold lasing (more complicated?), and the all-optical
transistor (more complicated?).  At all stages, theory and applications will be
related to the course material whenever possible.  Finally, the presentation
will finish with a summarizing conclusion and a round of applause.


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