Slow light enabled wavelength demultiplexing

Photonic crystal waveguides supporting band gap guided modes hold great potential to tailor the group velocity of propagating light. We propose and explore different wavelength demultiplexer design approaches that utilize slow light concept. By altering the dielectric filling factors of each waveguide segment, one can show that different frequencies can be separated and extracted at different locations along the cascaded waveguide. Furthermore, to eliminate the inherent reflection loss of such a design, a composite structure involving a tapered waveguide with a side-coupled resonator is also presented. Such a structure features not only a forward propagating wave but also a backward propagating wave acting as a feedback mechanism for the drop channels. We show that by careful design of the waveguide and the resonator, the destructive and instructive interference of these waves can effectively eliminate the reflection loss and increase the coupling efficiency, respectively. Numerical and experimental verification of the proposed structures show that the targeted frequencies can be coupled out with low cross-talks and moderate quality factors, while maintaining a compact size. © 2016 IEEE.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Enhanced self-collimation effect by low rotational symmetry in hexagonal lattice photonic crystals

In this study, we present the design of a photonic crystal (PC) structure with a hexagonal lattice, where adjustments to the PC unit cell symmetry reveal an all-angle self-collimation (SC) effect. By optimizing opto-geometric parameters, such as the rotational angle of auxiliary rods and adjacent distances, we analyze the SC property in detail, leveraging group velocity dispersion (GVD) and third-order dispersion (TOD) characteristics. We also investigate the relationship between symmetry properties and their influence on dispersion characteristics. Through symmetry manipulation, we gain a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms governing light collimation and confinement in the proposed configurations. The PC structure with a $C_1$ symmetry group exhibits all-angle SC effect within the range of $a/\lambda=0.652$ and $a/\lambda=0.668$ normalized frequencies, with a bandwidth of $\Delta \omega/\omega_c = 2.4\%$. Further breaking the symmetry, transforming from $C_1$ to $C_2$ group symmetry, enhances the SC bandwidth to $\Delta \omega/\omega_c =6.5\%$ and reveals the perfect linear equi-frequency contours (EFC) at two different frequency bands: all angle SC between $a/\lambda = 0.616$ and $a/\lambda = 0.656$ normalized frequencies in the 4th transverse magnetic (TM) band and between $a/\lambda=0.712$ and $a/\lambda=0.760$ in the 5th TM band. Additionally, we propose a composite/hybrid PC structure resembling $C_2$ group symmetry, where two auxiliary rods are replaced by rectangular photonic wires with the same refractive index and width equal to the diameter of auxiliary rods. This hybrid structure exhibits an all-angle SC effect with an operating bandwidth of $\Delta \omega/\omega_c =11.7\%$, displays near-zero GVD and TOD performance and offers enhanced robustness against potential fabrication precision issues

Chemical concentration map building through bacterial foraging optimization based search algorithm by mobile robots

In this article we present implementation of Bacterial Foraging Optimization algorithm inspired search by multiple robots in an unknown area in order to find the region with highest chemical gas concentration as well as to build the chemical gas concentration map. The searching and map building tasks are accomplished by using mobile robots equipped with smart transducers for gas sensing called "KheNose". Robots perform the search autonomously via bacterial chemotactic behavior. Moreover, simultaneously the robots send their sensor readings of the chemical concentration and their position data to a remote computer (a base station), where the data is combined, interpolated, and filtered to form an real-time map of the chemical gas concentration in the environment. ©2010 IEEE

Analytical, numerical, and experimental investigation of a Luneburg lens system for directional cloaking

In this study, the design of a directional cloaking based on the Luneburg lens system is proposed and its operating principle is experimentally verified. The cloaking concept is analytically investigated via geometrical optics and numerically realized with the help of the finite-difference time-domain method. In order to benefit from its unique focusing and/or collimating characteristics of light, the Luneburg lens is used. We show that by the proper combination of Luneburg lenses in an array form, incident light bypasses the region between junctions of the lenses, i.e., the "dark zone." Hence, direct interaction of an object with propagating light is prevented if one places the object to be cloaked inside that dark zone. This effect is used for hiding an object which is made of a perfectly electric conductor material. In order to design an implementable cloaking device, the Luneburg lens is discretized into a photonic crystal structure having gradually varying air cylindrical holes in a dielectric material by using Maxwell Garnett effective medium approximations. Experimental verifications of the designed cloaking structure are performed at microwave frequencies of around 8 GHz. The proposed structure is fabricated by three-dimensional printing of dielectric polylactide material and a brass metallic alloy is utilized in place of the perfectly electric conductor material in microwave experiments. Good agreement between numerical and experimental results is found. © 2019 American Physical Society

Fotonik kristal mühendisliği ile ışığın kontrolü: Düşük simetri, derecelendirilmiş kırılma indisi ve parite zaman simetrisi

Tarihsel olarak, iki ve üç boyutlu Fotonik Kristaller (FK) olarak bilinen periyodik yapılara olan ilgi, E. Yablonovitch ve S. John ismindeki bilim adamlarının periyodik dielektrik yapılar üzerinde yaptıkları ilk çalışmalarıyla başladı. Çalışmalarında, elektromanyetik dalgaların yayılımının, yarıiletken yapılardaki elektronların hareketinde olduğu gibi, kontrol edilebileceğini savundular. FK'ların en önemli optiksel özelliklerinden biri, elektronik yasaklı bant aralığına benzer şekilde iletim spektrumunda Fotonik Yasaklı Bant (FYB) aralığına sahip olmalarıdır. Böylece, FK'lar belirli frekans bölgelerinde yönden bağımsız olarak ışığın yapı boyunca yayılmasını engeller. FYB bölgesinde, ne herhangi bir optiksel mod ne de fotonun anlık ışıması oluşmaz. Bu özellikler sayesinde FK'lar pek çok fotonik devre tasarımında kilit rol oynamaktadır. FK birim hücresindeki dönme ve ayna simetrisinin kırılması, eğilmiş öz-kolimasyon ve dalga boyuna göre ayırıcı gibi özelliklerin oluşmasını sağlar. FK devre dizaynında bir başka önemli konu da FK'ların pozisyonlarının düzenlenmesiyle ortamın kırılma indis profilinin ayarlanabilmesidir. Derecelendirilmiş kırılma indisli FK'lar sayesinde kuplör, odaklayıcı lens ve mod mertebesi değiştirici gibi fotonik entegre devre parçaları oluşturulabilir. Uzun mesafeler için herhangi bir kayıp olmaksızın optik sinyalinin iletimini sağlamak önemli bir sorundur. Bu durumda ışığın saçılımı problem teşkil etmektedir. Bu tez çalışmasında iki boyutlu aksikon şeklindeki halka tipi fotonik yapısı kullanarak ışık dağılımına alternatif çözüm sunmaya çalışılmıştır. Geleneksel fotonik dielektrik yapılarına ek olarak, kırılma indisi kazanç-kayıplı olacak şekilde modüle edilen Parite-Zaman simetrisine sahip iki boyutlu fotonik yapı incelenmiştir. Tasarlanan Parite-Zaman simetrik yapısı kullanılarak kristalografik rezonansların yakınında veya yüksek-simetri noktalarında asimetrik ışık iletimi elde edilmiştir.The great interest to the two and three dimensionally periodic structures, called photonic crystals (PCs), has begun with the pioneer works of Yablonovitch and John as one can efficiently control the propagation of the electromagnetic (EM) waves in the same manner with semiconductors that affect the electron conduction. One of the main peculiar properties of PCs is that they have photonic band gap in the transmission spectrum similar to electronic band gap and hence, they are able to prevent the light to propagate in certain frequency regions irrespective of the propagation direction in space. Inside the band gaps, neither optical modes nor spontaneous emissions exist. Breaking the rotational and mirror symmetries of PC unit cells provides rich dispersive features such as tilted self-collimation, and wavelength de-multiplexing effects. Another important issue in PC designs is that it is feasible to design graded index medium if the parameters of the two dimensional PCs is intentionally rearranged. That type of configuration is known as Graded index photonic crystals (GRIN PCs). The implementations of GRIN via periodic structures provide great flexibilities in terms of designing different index gradient and photonic integrated circuit components such as couplers, lenses, and mode order converters. It is crucial to deliver optical signal without any loss for the long distances where light diffraction plays an important role. Hence, dealing with the alternative solution to light diffraction phenomena using 2D axicon shape annular type photonic structure is another topic of this thesis. In addition to conventional photonic all dielectric structures, we have proposed gain-loss modulated parity-time (PT-) symmetric photonic structures to obtain strong asymmetric light transmission close to the crystallographic resonances or, equivalently, close to high-symmetry points

Design and analysis of all-dielectric subwavelength focusing flat lens

In this letter, we numerically designed and experimentally demonstrated a compact photonic structure for the subwavelength focusingof light using all-dielectric absorption-free and nonmagnetic scattering objects distributed in an air medium. In order to design the subwavelength focusing flat lens, an evolutionary algorithm is combined with the finite-difference time-domain method for determining the locations of cylindrical scatterers. During the multi-objective optimization process, a specific objective function is defined to reduce the full width at half maximum (FWHM) and diminish side lobe level (SLL) values of light at the focal point. The time-domain response of the optimized flat lens exhibits subwavelength light focusing with an FWHM value of 0.19? and an SLL value of 0.23, where ? denotes the operating wavelength of light. Experimental analysis of the proposed flat lens is conducted in a microwave regime and findings exactly verify the numerical results with an FWHM of 0.192? and an SLL value of 0.311 at the operating frequency of 5.42 GHz. Moreover, the designed flat lens provides a broadband subwavelength focusing effect with a 9% bandwidth covering frequency range of 5.10 GHz-5.58 GHz, where corresponding FWHM values remain under 0.21?. Also, it is important to note that the designed flat lens structure performs a line focusing effect. Possible applications of the designed structure in telecom wavelengths are speculated upon for future perspectives. Namely, the designed structure can perform well in photonic integrated circuits for different fields of applications such as high efficiency light coupling, imaging and optical microscopy, with its compact size and ability for strong focusing. © 2017 IOP Publishing Ltd

Metaheuristic approach enabled mode order conversion in photonic crystals: numerical design and experimental realization

In the presented study, we proposed a design approach based on optimization algorithm to obtain mode order conversion in photonic crystal (PC) structures and experimentally verify the numerical result of the corresponding approach. The finite-difference time-domain method is integrated with an evolutionary algorithm to develop the introduced design method. Here, we designed two different mode order converter PCs with ultra-compact sizes that transform a fundamental mode to a higher order mode. The first designed structure realizes a mode order conversion in free-space host medium, and the second structure performs the same operation in a PC waveguide with optimized region. Also, asymmetric light transmission effect in PC waveguide structure is investigated. Additionally, we performed microwave experiments to confirm the numerical results of mode order conversion. In conclusion, we demonstrated a novel design approach to obtain mode order conversion, which can be feasible to design diverse photonic structures in the future applications of nanophotonics