Photonic crystal membrane resonators: A wealth of new photonic functionality

Photonic Crystal membrane (PCM) resonators can be exploited to perform an arbitrarily adjustable molding of light at the wavelength scale: they can process free-space as well as wave-guided optical modes along a variety of addressing configurations and transfer functions, where the spectral, spatial, polarization, phase, group delay… characteristics can be resolved accurately and adjusted at will. The physics of PCM resonators will be revisited based on simple analytical approaches and intuitive arguments, thus providing direct routes for design rules. Specifically, such desired functionalities as wavelength tuning and beam steering will be emphasized. Practical implementation of these functionalities will be presented in the case of VCSEL devices, where silicon PCM resonators are used as reflectors and are heterogeneously integrated with III-V semiconductor gain material, along a CMOS compatible technological approach.