Hypersensitive Transport in Photonic Crystals with Accidental Spatial Degeneracies

TL;DR

This paper explores how slight changes in permittivity near defect nodal points in photonic crystals can drastically alter light transmission, enabling applications in optical switching and limiting.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of hypersensitive transport in photonic crystals with accidental degeneracies, showing how minor permittivity alterations can suppress localized modes.

Findings

Tiny permittivity changes suppress localized modes

Layered structures become highly reflective over broad frequencies

Potential for optical limiting and switching applications

Abstract

A localized defect mode in a photonic-layered structure develops nodal points. Placing a thin metallic layer at such a nodal point results in the phenomenon of induced transparency. We demonstrate that if this nodal point is not a point of symmetry, then even a tiny alteration of the permittivity in the vicinity of the defect suppresses the localized mode along with the resonant transmission; the layered structure becomes highly reflective within a broad frequency range. Applications of this hypersensitive transport for optical limiting and switching are discussed.