Abstract

Wavelength demultiplexing is one of the major applications of unique dispersive properties of photonic crystals (PCs). Possibility of integration and compactness are two main advantages of PC-based demultiplexers compared to other demultiplexing techniques for applications including compact spectrometers (for integrated sensing applications), spectral analysis modules (for optical information processing systems), and WDM multiplexers and demultiplexers. The current demands in these applications require improvement of the resolution of these demultiplexing devices from the values demonstrated to date, and we propose utilizing strong dispersion in higher photonic bands of the planar PC to achieve this goal. Here, we discuss the important factors to be considered in implementing an efficient superprism-based PC wavelength demultiplexer in their strong dispersion regime. The predicted performance of this device is experimentally verified, and steps to further improve their performance are discussed.

© 2008 Optical Society of America