Nanophotonics

"Advances in integrated circuit manufacturing techniques have allowed for the miniaturization of devices on rapidly decreasing scales. In the last decade, we have witnessed the emergence of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) from the laboratory to acommercially viable industry that is estimated to reach $15 billion in sales by 2004.1 As MEMS technology has transferred to industry and the marketplace, research organizations have continued to pursue small-scale fabrication and have advanced to thesubmircon or nano regime. At these dimensions, where feature sizes are less than the wavelength of light, it is possible to produce optical materials and devices that allow for unique photonic control and manipulation. As such a new class of opticaldevices based on submicron periodic structures has emerged and is referred to as photonic crystals (PhC) or photonic band gap devices (PBGs). Preliminary research indicates that these devices will be capable of performing a wide variety of functions.2These include but are not limited to switching, splitting, modulation, and filtering. PBGs can be integrated into small packages making them desirable for commercial applications such as optical interconnects and dense wavelength division multiplexing(DWDM), as well as military and government applications including quiet communications, sensors, and engineered coatings. To fully realize the potential of PBG devices, there are several major research and development challenges that must be addressed. Infact, a recent report on the state of photonic integrated circuits suggests that the current obstacles to commercialization are software simulation, yields, materials, and test equipment.3 We agree and believe that we have assembled a team with thebackground and expertise to address these obstacles and bring this technology to market."