Towards realization of high quality 2D-photonic crystals in InP/GalnAsP/InP

Two-dimensional photonic crystals (PhCs) were etched into InP/GaInAsP/InP planar waveguides using chlorine based chemical assisted ion beam etching (CAIBE). Etching mechanisms and process parameters crucial for high quality PhC definition are discussed, with special attention to the lag-effect. The processed PhCs were optically characterized by measuring transmission through simple slabs and one-dimensional cavities. The optical properties inside the photonic bandgap are much better compared to both previously reported CAIBE results and results obtained with other etching methods. In particular, we measured a record quality factor of 310 for one-dimensional cavities fabricated in this material system.