Average Transmission Decrease in One-Dimensional Photonic Structures by Widening the Random Layer Thickness Distribution

TL;DR

This study investigates how widening the distribution of layer thicknesses in disordered one-dimensional photonic structures affects their optical transmission, revealing that the distribution shape controls average transmission levels.

Contribution

It introduces a systematic analysis of how different statistical distributions of layer thicknesses influence the optical properties of disordered photonic structures.

Findings

Wider distributions decrease average transmission.

Gaussian distributions lead to different transmission characteristics than uniform.

Distribution shape is a key control parameter for optical transmission.

Abstract

In this work we have studied the optical properties of disordered photonic structures, in which we have controlled the distribution of the random layer thickness. Such structures are characterized by an alternation of high and low refractive index layers, but the layer thicknesses follow the aforementioned distributions. We have used two types of distribution: a distribution in which each thickness has the same probability to occur and one in which the thickness follows a Gaussian function. We have simulated the average transmission all over the spectrum for photonic structure characterized by a different width of the distribution. We have found that the choice of the distribution of the layer thickness is a control of the average transmission of a random photonic structure.