Super-collimation in a Rod-based Photonic Crystal

Super-collimation is the propagation of a light beam without spreading that occurs when the light beam is guided by the dispersion properties of a photonic crystal, rather than by defects in the photonic crystal. Super-collimation has many potential applications, the most straight-forward of which is in the area of integrated optical circuits, where super-collimation can be utilized for optical routing and optical logic. Another interesting direction is the burgeoning field of optofluidics, in which integrated biological or chemical sensors can be based on super-collimating structures. The work presented in the thesis includes the design, fabrication, and characterization of a rod-based two-dimensional photonic crystal super-collimator. The dispersion contours for the photonic crystal are simulated as part of the design process. Two different fabrication process methods are developed and applied. The super-collimator is fabricated, and the fabrication methods are analyzed and compared. Characterization of the super-collimator has resulted in the first experimental observation of super-collimation in a two-dimensional photonic crystal of rods. The advantages of the rod-based device structure and potential applications of the super-collimator are discussed in closing. Thesis Supervisor: Leslie A. Kolodziejski Title: Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science