A hybrid metal photonic crystal based nanostructured cavity and waveguide for the sub-wavelength confinement of light is proposed and it is shown that a bottom reflector is vital for the vertical emission from a silicon (Si) photonic crystal (PC) nanocavity. A photonic crystal slab of Si (ε_d=11.56 or n_d=3.4) with air holes and metal as an underlying substrate is chosen and three dimensional (3D) photonic bandgap for structure is calculated with plane wave expansion (PWE) method. Using finite difference time domain (FDTD) method, the transmission of a cavity mode as a function of Photonic crystal slab thickness is calculated and it is observed that the transmission increases with the increase in slab thickness at wavelength, λ = 1.55μm. Also, transverse electric field profiles (Ey) of the cavity mode has been shown and quality factor are calculated for the cavity and possible application in the area of PC light based emitters such as plasmonic lasers and single photon source is assessed.

Date Published: 9 October 2012
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 8457, Plasmonics: Metallic Nanostructures and Their Optical Properties X, 84573J (9 October 2012); doi: 10.1117/12.929794

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8457:
Plasmonics: Metallic Nanostructures and Their Optical Properties X
Mark I. Stockman, Editor(s)