Superradiance in a Two-Dimensional Photonic Bandgap Structure

In this paper, we study the superradiant decay of an ensemble of inverted two-level atoms embedded into a continuous dielectric and a two-dimensional (2-D) photonic crystal with lateral confinement of the radiation. The nonlinear superradiance pulse characteristics are calculated using a Green's-function-based model. Specifically, we predict fast phase synchronization across the ensemble that builds up a distributed feedback structure responsible for the superradiation anisotropic emission and the directional switching. We show that the transfer of the optical excitation takes place along the Bragg planes and is manifested by strong energy localization.