GaAs-based 2-dimensional photonic crystal slab with large r/a used for wavelength-division multiplexing

We proposed a novel design of a current-driven photonic crystal (PC) cavity laser using circular resonators. Resonant modes can be varied by adjusting the diameter of the resonator [1]. This feature enables us to realize wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) on a PC structure without using the conventional optical multiplexer. Then we find the requirement of applying the proposed PC cavity lasers to WDM in the 1.3-µm range by calculating the photonic band-gap (PBG) of a GaAs based 2-dimensional (2D) PC structure. According to the simulation result, the filling ratio expressed as r/a (r is the radius of the air holes and a is the lattice constant of the PC structure) should be in a certain range. Furthermore, a regular PC structure with a=340nm meeting the requirement was also successfully fabricated. The simulation and experimental results show the possibility of realizing WDM using our proposed PC cavity lasers.