Simulation of coupling optical modes in 1D photonic crystals for optoelectronic applications

Abstract

In this paper, one-dimensional photonic crystal distributed feedback structures were chosen for simulating the photonic modes. The corresponding photonic bands were calculated by using a numerical method for solving the master equation, while the reflectivity spectra of the structures were simulated by using a rigorous coupled wave analysis method. By observing the variation of the photonic band diagram and the reflectivity spectrum versus different geometrical parameters, the variation of the photonic bands was detailedly studied. We observed two kinds of photonic modes: (i) the one related to the vertical structures, and (ii) the other related to the horizontal periodic structures. The detailed analysis of the optical modes was illustrated by proposing TEn,X±,mBZ for indexing all transverse electric modes. An active layer coated on the distributed feedback structures plays an essential role in having radiative non-leaky photonic modes. The coupling between these modes, giving to anti-crossing, was also identified both by simulation and by modelling. This study can pave a way for further modelling optical modes in distributed feedback structures, and for selecting a suitable one-dimensional photonic crystal for optoelectronic applications with a specific active semiconductor layer. Keywords: 1D photonic crystal, DFB structure, Angle – resolved reflectivity, Photonic band diagram, Coupling waves