Photonic devices enabled by waveguide-mode resonance effects in periodically modulated films

The chief properties and possible applications of periodic waveguides and their leaky modes are presented in this paper. After summarizing the basic physics of the guided-mode resonance, computed leaky-mode field patterns are provided to illustrate their structure and the high local focal field enhancement obtainable. An example fabricated bandstop filter is found to exhibit 90% efficiency, 1 nm linewidth, and low sidebands. Computed spectra for a single-layer bandpass filter operating at 1.55 μm wavelength yield low sidebands, extending 100 nm, and an angular aperture of ~1.7°. Resonant vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL) are presented in which multilayer Bragg-stack mirrors are replaced with leaky-mode resonance layers. The use of guided-mode resonance mirrors provides optical power flow across and laterally along the laser active region. The round-trip gain is thereby increased resulting in high laser efficiency and relaxed mirror reflectivity constraints. As the GMR mirror achieves high reflectivity at resonance, the laser wavelength is locked at the resonance wavelength principally defined by the period. Example resonant VCSEL embodiments are shown along with their computed characteristics. Resonant biosensors are addressed last. The high parametric sensitivity of the guided-mode resonance effect, a potential limitation in filter applications, can be exploited for sensors as illustrated by several examples.