Broadband single-mode waveguiding in two- and three-dimensional hybrid photonic crystals based on silicon inverse opals.

Hybrid 2D-3D heterostructures are a very promising way for waveguiding light in 3D photonic structures. Single-mode waveguiding of light has been demonstrated in heterostructures where a 2D photonic crystal consisting of a triangular lattice of silicon rods in air was intercalated between two silicon inverse opals. In this paper, we show that by using a graphite lattice of rods instead of a triangular one, it is possible to enlarge the maximal single-mode waveguiding bandwidth by more than 70 %, i.e. up to 129 nm centered on 1.55 mum. The sensibility to the 2D layer structure parameters is lower, offering enhanced experimental flexibility in the design of the structure.