Measurement of bound states in the continuum by a detector embedded in a photonic crystal.

We directly measure optical bound states in the continuum (BICs) by embedding a photodetector into a photonic crystal slab. The BICs observed in our experiment are the result of accidental phase matching between incident, reflected and in-plane waves at seemingly random wave vectors in the photonic band structure. Our measurements were confirmed through a rigorously coupled-wave analysis simulation in conjunction with temporal coupled mode theory.

Quantum cascade lasers with a tilted facet utilizing the inherent polarization purity.

We report on quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) with a tilted facet utilizing their polarization property. Contrary to diode lasers, QCLs generate purely TM polarized light due to the intersubband selection rules. This property enables the utilization of reflectivity in terms of only TM polarized light (TM reflectivity).

Higher order modes in photonic crystal slabs.

We present a detailed investigation of higher order modes in photonic crystal slabs. In such structures the resonances exhibit a blue-shift compared to an ideal two-dimensional photonic crystal, which depends on the order of the slab mode and the polarization. By fabricating a series of photonic crystal slab photo detecting devices, with varying ratios of slab thickness to photonic crystal lattice constant, we are able to distinguish between 0th and 1st order slab modes as well as the polarization from the shift of resonances in the photocurrent spectra.