Nano-scale Optical Components

The ability to create structures with nanometer-scale features provides a rich design space for optical devices and materials. One class of such structures, photonic crystals, has been predicted to produce novel electromagnetic effects based on the variation of the propagation constant with frequency and direction. Advances in processing technologies have enabled experimental demonstration of photonic crystals exhibiting these behaviors in the optical regime. We propose to leverage recent design and fabrication advances to develop and demonstrate highly functional, ultra-compact optical devices for both sensing and communications applications based on photonic crystal technology.