In this article we propose to build a (semi-)deterministic photon gun by modifying the spontaneous decay in a photonic band-gap material. We show that such a device allows for deterministic and unidirectional single-photon emission with a repetition rate of the order of 100 kHz. We describe a specific realization of the 1D band-gap model by means of a 3D photonic-crystal heterostructure and the...

Photonic band gap (PBG) materials are attractive for cavity QED experiments because they provide extremely small mode volumes and are monolithic, integratable structures. As such, PBG cavities are a promising alternative to Fabry-Perot resonators. However, the cavity requirements imposed by QED experiments, such as the need for high Q (low cavity damping) and small mode volumes, present signifi...

We describe broad new classes of three-dimensional (3D) structures which, when made of silicon, exhibit robust 3D photonic band gaps of up to 25% of the gap center frequency. The proposed photonic crystals are readily amenable to very high precision microfabrication using established techniques such as x-ray lithography and template inversion. Each architecture consists of a set of oriented cyl...

Quantum electrodynamics of atom spontaneous emission from a three-dimensional photonic crystal is studied in a full vectorial framework. The electromagnetic fields are quantized via solving the eigenproblem of photonic crystals with use of a plane-wave expansion method. It is found that the photon density of states and local density of states (LDOS) with a full band gap vary slowly near the edg...

We present a self-consistent technique for the asymptotic analysis of dispersion curves in two-dimensional (2D) metallic photonic band gap (PBG) structures representing square and triangular arrays of metal rods. The technique is applicable for the structures with rod radii (a), which are small compared to the distance between the rods (b) and to the wavelength (λ). The induced current and char...

We propose a frequency selective duplexer using microwave photonic band gap ~PBG! structures. It uses two different PBGs to control the propagation of electromagnetic waves in the microwave region. In this structure, an additional narrow reflection band appears in the transmission spectrum when the PBG structure is not properly located relative to the T junction. By considering multiple reflect...

The development of materials with a complete photonic band gap at visible wavelengths is believed to have the potential to lead to new control over long-lived emissive excited states, single molecule lasers, and nearly lossless nanoscale waveguides. In this work we move toward that goal with the synthesis of an inverse opal thin film of Ta3N5 produced through atomic layer deposition. The highly...

We have microfabricated two-dimensional ~2D! photonic band gap structures in a thin slab of dielectric material to define reflectors and high-Q microresonators. By selectively omitting holes from the 2D photonic crystal, optical microcavities, and in-plane microresonator switches can be defined. We have designed this structure with a finite difference time domain approach, and demonstrate the e...