Hybrid photonic crystal and conventional waveguide structures

Abstract

Hybrid photonic crystal (PhC) and conventional waveguide (CWG) structures have been proposed to achieve ultracompact waveguide bends and splitters with very high efficiency (>99.0%). Such elements are enablers to realize large scale planar lightwave circuits (PLCs) with low index contrast waveguide materials such as silica and polymers. In this paper, we first discuss high efficiency 90 degree bends and splitters and then show how these can be used to create compact ring resonators. These in turn can be used as building blocks for add/drop filters, band pass filters, wavelength division multi-/demultiplexers, and all optical switches.