Abstract

Photonic bandgap (PBG) crystals, consisting of periodic structures of two or more materials and with sizes on the order of optical wavelength have recently been extensively studied due to interest in both their physical properties and also in their possible applications to optoelectronic devices [1,2]. Analysis has shown that a 3-dimensional PBG crystal with designed-in phase shifts will control the direction of spontaneous emission due to its strong couping to localized optical modes in the bandgap. Thus a laser using a PBG crystal as its optical cavity can be expected to have a highly directional radiation pattern or high output efficiency [3]. A 1-dimensional crystal has already been utilized as a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR), and so it is necessary to demonstrate that 2-dimensional (2D) PBG crystal without phase shifts can be used as a reflector and then that a PBG crystal with inherent phase shifts may be fabricated inside a laser cavity.

© 1997 Optical Society of America