Light Localization in Slot Photonic Crystal Waveguide

A single-mode photonic crystal waveguide with a linear tapered slot is presented, which can localize light spatially by changing the slot width. Its effective bandwidth is 52nm, from 1500nm to 1552nm. Along the tapered structure, the slot width is reduced, and the corresponding band curve shifts. The group velocity of light becomes zero at the band edge. Therefore, different frequency components of the guided light are slowed down and finally localized at correspondingly different widths inside a tapered slot photonic crystal waveguide. Furthermore, this structure can confine light wave in a narrow slot waveguide, which may effectively enhance the interaction between light and the low-index wave-guiding materials filled in the slot.