Slow-Light Propagation in a Tapered Dielectric Periodic Waveguide over Broad Frequency Range

A tapered waveguide composed of a one-dimensional periodic arrangement of dielectric material is proposed for light trapping. The equifrequency contours (EFC) of silicon-air multilayer photonic crystals within the first band-gap region are first studied. A zero-group-velocity at the first Brillouin zone boundary along the grating vector is predicted. The propagation constants and eigenfrequencies of the first-order guiding modes are numerically investigated for photonic crystal waveguide structures with a finite thickness. Different frequency components of the guiding modes are found to slow and stop at different thicknesses inside such a tapered waveguide structure. In addition, the time-evolution of a femto-second pulse propagating in the tapered waveguide is also demonstrated.