Optical Bloch oscillation and Zener tunneling in an array of cylindrical waveguides. Numerical simulation

TL;DR

This paper explores optical Bloch oscillation, Zener tunneling, and breathing modes in cylindrical waveguide arrays using a novel multiple scattering formalism, demonstrating their prediction and behavior through numerical simulations.

Contribution

Introduces a new calculation method based on multiple scattering formalism to analyze Bloch oscillation and Zener tunneling in waveguide arrays.

Findings

Bloch oscillation can be predicted by dispersion law analysis.

Zener tunneling causes Bloch-Zener oscillation in arrays with narrow band gaps.

Numerical simulations confirm the occurrence of these phenomena.

Abstract

We investigate optical Bloch oscillation, Zener tunneling and breathing modes in arrays of optical waveguides. We perform a new method of calculation based on the multiple scattering formalism. To demonstrate Bloch oscillation and breathing modes, we consider a planar array of parallel cylindrical waveguides with the refractive index gradually varying across the array. We demonstrate that the form of Bloch oscillation may be predicted by means of dispersion law analysis. To demonstrate Zener tunneling, we consider a planar array of cylindrical waveguides of two types situated by turn. The band structure of this array contains two bands separated by a narrow gap. If the refractive indices of waveguides gradually vary across the array, the Zener tunneling leads to the Bloch-Zener oscillation.