Overview:

This multi-speaker workshop is intended to provide a technical overview of the rapidly emerging field of Photonic Crystals from several different viewpoints.  To provide the greatest benefit for an audience with a wide range of technical backgrounds, the workshop begins with a two-night long tutorial on the theory and principles of photonic band gap materials, which provides a common language and level of understanding to all participants.  This is followed on the third night by a complete overview of the field by a world-renowned researcher who is an expert on photonic crystal fibers. The workshop concludes with two nights of multi-speaker talks on practical photonic crystal devices by representatives from local industry and the local research community.

Target Audience:

This workshop is targeted towards three over-lapping audiences.  First, the engineer, scientist, or graduate student not familiar with photonic crystals, who wants to learn more about one of the key developing technologies that will enable the replacing of electrons by photons in the race towards the quantum limit in ever-faster and ever-smaller nano-sized information processing devices.  Second, local industry professionals in the optical, materials science, electrical device engineering, and communications engineering fields, who want to meet other experts working in the quickly developing photonic band gap field, and exchange thoughts on new concepts, new devices, directions the technology is taking or will take, and where the emerging start-up ventures are going.  Third, any student who wants to hear the world-famous MIT Independent Activities Period tutorial on Photonic Crystals, as presented by its very own creator, without having to first be an enrolled tuition-paying MIT undergraduate.

Handouts:

Printed copies of the speakers Power Point slides will be provided to all registered attendees in advance of the talks.

Talk Schedule:

Day 1, Wed. March 23, 7:00 PM, Lectures 1 & 2: (The first 2 hours of a 4-hour tutorial, with break). “Photonic-crystals: Principles, Techniques, and Applications”, Prof. Steven G. Johnson, Math Dept. MIT

Day 2, Wed. March 30, 7:00 PM, Lectures 3 & 4: (The last 2 hours of a 4-hour tutorial, with break). “Photonic-crystals: Principles, Techniques, and Applications”, Prof. Steven G. Johnson, Math Dept. MIT

Abstract:

This 4-hour tutorial will survey basic principles and developments in the field of photonic crystals, nano-structured optical materials that achieve new levels of control over optical phenomena.  This leverage over photons is primarily achieved by the photonic band gap: a range of wavelengths in which light cannot propagate within a suitably designed crystal, forming a sort of optical insulator.  The tutorial will begin with an introduction to the fundamentals of wave propagation in periodic systems, Bloch’s theorem and band diagrams, and from there moves on to the origin of the photonic band gap and its realization in practical structures.  After that we will cover a number of topics and applications important for understanding the field and its future.

Topics will include: the introduction of intentional defects to create waveguides, cavities, and ideal integrated optical devices in a crystal; exploitation of exotic dispersions for negative-refraction, super-prisms, and super-lensing; the combination of photonic band gaps and conventional index guiding to form easily fabricated hybrid systems (photonic-crystal slabs); the origin and control of losses in hybrid systems; and computational approaches to understanding these systems (from brute-force simulation to semi-analytical techniques).

Biography:

Steven G. Johnson received three B.S. degrees, in Physics, Mathematics, and Computer Science, in 1995 and a PhD in Physics in 2001 from MIT.  He joined the Faculty of Mathematics at MIT as Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics in 2004.  He was co-recipient of the 1999 J. H. Wilkinson Prize for Numerical Software for his work on FFTW, a widely used and influential package to compute the fast Fourier transform.  He is also the author of other popular software packages in scientific computation, such as his MPB software for modeling photonic crystals (which has received nearly 200 citations in the last three years and averages 400 downloads/month).  Besides his efforts in high-performance computation, his work has ranged from the fundamental understanding of incomplete-band gap systems and band gap fibers, to the development of new semi-analytical and numerical methods for electromagnetism in high-contrast and periodic systems, to authoring some of the few analytical theorems about the behavior of photonic crystals, to the design of integrated optical devices.  He is the author or co-author of more than 40 journal articles and a textbook on photonic crystals, and holds five issued U.S. patents on nanostructured materials and devices.

Day 3, Wed. April 6, 7:00 PM, combined lectures 5 & 6. Keynote presentation on “New Age Fiber Crystals”, Prof. Philip Russell, Physics Dept. Univ. Bath, UK

Abstract:

Photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) have been the focus of increasing scientific and technological interest since the first working example was reported in 1996.  Although superficially similar to a conventional optical fiber, PCF has a unique microstructure, consisting of an array of microscopic holes (i.e., channels) running along its entire length.  These holes act as optical barriers or scatterers, which suitably arranged can “corral” light within a central core (either hollow or made of solid glass).  The holes can range in diameter from ~25 nm to ~50 mm. Although most PCF is formed in pure silica glass, it has also recently been made using polymers and non-silica glasses, where it is difficult to find compatible core and cladding materials suitable for conventional total internal reflection guidance.  PCF supports two guidance mechanisms: total internal reflection, in which case the core must have a higher average refractive index than the holey cladding; and a two-dimensional photonic band gap, when the index of the core is uncritical – it can be hollow or filled with material.  Light can be controlled and transformed in these fibers with unprecedented freedom, allowing for example the guiding of light in a hollow core, the creation of highly nonlinear solid cores with anomalous dispersion in the visible and the design of fibers that support only one transverse spatial mode at all wavelengths.  The PCF concept has ushered in a new and more versatile era of fiber optics, with a multitude of different applications spanning many areas of science.

Recent reviews are available in: Science 299 (358-362) 2003 & Nature 424 (847-851) 2003

Biography:

Philip Russell is Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Bath, where he heads the Optoelectronics Group.  He obtained his PhD (1979) at the University of Oxford and subsequently has worked in research laboratories and universities in Europe and the USA.  His group specializes in photonic crystals and optical fiber devices, and its work led to the formation of BlazePhotonics Ltd (www.blazephotonics.com) in 2001, whose aim is the commercial exploitation of photonic crystal fiber.  He has over 400 publications and holds a substantial number of patents in many aspects of photonics.  He is a Fellow of the Optical Society of America and in 2000 won its Joseph Fraunhofer Award/Robert M. Burley Prize for the invention of photonic crystal fiber, first proposed in 1991.  He is the founding chair of the Optical Society of America’s Topical Meeting Series on Bragg Gratings, Photosensitivity and Poling in Glass.  In 2002 he won the Applied Optics Division Prize of the UK Institute of Physics and he is currently a LEOS Distinguished Lecturer and the recipient of a Royal Society/Wolfson Research Merit Award and the 2005 Thomas Young Prize of the Institute of Physics.  His work on photonic crystals (both in films and fibers) is recognized by a continuing series of plenary, keynote and invited talks at conferences and summer schools all over the world.

Day 4, Wed. April 13, 7:00 PM, Lecture 7. “Novel Photonic Crystal Quantum Cascade Lasers.” , Dr. Marko Loncar, Division Engineering & Applied Sciences, Harvard University

Abstract:

We propose a new class of Quantum Cascade (QC) lasers in which a regular array of holes is placed in the immediate vicinity of the active region of a QC laser to achieve novel functionalities.  For example, a focused ion beam is used to make holes in the facet of the laser, perpendicular to the surface of the semiconductor, to achieve distributed feedback action or to define photonic crystal micro-cavities.  In addition, these arrays of holes can have other uses, which enables innovative applications to opto-fluidics, chemical/biological sensing and nonlinear optics.

Biography:

Dr. Marko Lončar is a Postdoctoral Scholar in Applied Physics at Harvard University.  He received MS and PhD degrees from the California Institute of Technology in 1998 and 2003 respectively, and the Diploma in Engineering from the University of Belgrade (Serbia and Montenegro) in 1997.  His research interests are in the areas of micro/nano-scale photonics, quantum cascade lasers, and nano-fabrication technology.

Day 4, Wed. April 13, 8:15 PM, Lecture 8. “Micro-fabricated Probes for Scanning Near-field Optical Microscopy and Visible-Wavelength Photonic Crystal Slabs.”, Prof. Kenneth B. Crozier, EE Dept., Division Engineering & Applied Sciences, Harvard University

Abstract:

The optical microscope is a powerful and ubiquitous observation and analysis tool, with applications ranging from basic science, to manufacturing, and to medicine.  But traditional optical microscopes fail for nanometer-scale structures, however, because the diffraction limit prevents us from resolving dimensions smaller than half a wavelength.  In this work we demonstrate MEMS-fabricated lenses and optical antennas for scanning probe microscopes that overcome the diffraction limit.  In a separate investigation, we demonstrate photonic crystal slabs at visible wavelengths.

Biography:

Ken Crozier is an assistant professor of Electrical Engineering in the Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard.  He carried out his PhD (2003) under Professors Calvin Quate and Gordon Kino at Stanford University.  His current research focuses on experimental studies on nanophotonics. In particular, he is exploring near-field optical imaging techniques for spectroscopy with a spatial resolution significantly better than the classical diffraction limit. He is also interested in demonstrating new optical components based on photonic crystals.

Day 5, Wed, April 20, 7:00 PM, Lecture 9. “Omni-Guide Photonic Crystal Fiber: From Theory to Production.”, Dr. Marin Soljacic, MIT Physics Dept. & Omni-Guide Communications Inc.

Abstract:

OmniGuide Communications Inc. recently introduced its first product, a hollow-core photonic bandgap fiber (the OmniGuide fiber) designed to transmit 10.6 micron laser light for medical and industrial applications. Preliminary veterinary and human clinical trials with this fiber have been very successful. OmniGuide also plans to develop a version of these fibers for telecom applications. In our talk, we present the physics of OmniGuide fibers, discuss their theoretical and experimental performance, and describe some of the manufacturing processes required for their production. We will also present results on some recent clinical trials of the fiber.

Biography:

Dr. Marin Soljacic received his undergraduate degrees from MIT (1996), and a PhD from Princeton (2000), with a thesis topic in nonlinear optics. After graduating, he joined MIT as a Pappalardo Fellow, and is currently a Principal Research Scientist at MIT. He has also been a consultant with OmniGuide Communications almost since its inception. Dr. Soljacic is an expert in photonic crystals and nonlinear optics. He has co-authored more than 50 scientific articles, is a co-inventor on 4 patents (10 more pending), and has given more than 40 invited talks at conferences and universities around the world.”

Day 5, Wed. April 20, 8:15 PM, Lecture 10. “Left-handed Electromagnetism in Photonic Crystals and Metamaterials.”, Dr. Patanjali Parimi, Research Scientist , Physics Dept., Northeastern University

Abstract:

Electromagnetic waves display unusual properties in Left-Handed Materials (LHM), which possess a negative index of refraction. Two of the phenomena associated with negative refraction are: imaging by a flat lens; and slow wave propagation.  A metallic photonic crystal fabricated using cylindrical copper rods arranged on a triangular lattice demonstrates negative refraction with microwaves.  Negative refraction is observed in different frequency regimes between 7-10 GHz for incident beams along GđM and GđK directions of the first Brillouin zone.  The experimental results are in excellent agreement with band structure calculations and simulations of wave refraction.  A dielectric Photonic Crystal arranged on a square lattice demonstrates imaging by a flat lens.   Conventional optical systems have a single optical axis, limited aperture, and cannot focus light onto an area smaller than a square wavelength.  In contrast a photonic crystal flat lens does not have a unique optical axis and is not restricted by the aperture size. A particular advantage of a photonic crystalline material is its scalability to sub-micron dimensions ensuring several possible applications from microwave to optical frequencies.  Strong dispersion possessed by LHM leads to a slowing down of waves in photonic crystals.  Low group velocities of the order of c/100 are observed in a left-handed meta-material made of split ring resonators and wire strips. These results lead to the development of novel delay line filters, phase shifters, beam steerer, and lenses from microwave to optical frequencies.

Biography:

Patanjali V. Parimi has been an Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Physics at Northeastern University since 2001.  In 2001 he was an R&D consultant to Foster Miller, American Magnetics, and the Air Force Research Laboratories; from 1998-2001 he was a Post-doctoral Research Fellow at Northeastern University; from 1997-98 he was a Visiting Fellow, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India; and from 1993-98 he was a University Grants Commission Research Fellow, India.  He obtained his MS in Physics, and his Ph.D in Condensed Matter Physics from the University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India.  Science magazine selected his research on imaging by a flat lens as one of its breakthrough papers; Science, December 2003.  The American Physical Society-listed his research on left-handed meta-materials in the “Highlights of the Year 2003”, APS News, Vol. 13, February 2004.  The New Scientist, American Institute of Physics News, and Physics Today has quoted him for research on EM propagation in lefthanded metamaterials (2003).  He is the recipient of the Best Paper Award, ‘’International Workshop on HTS - 10 years after its discovery’’, December 1996, Jaipur, India.  He has 26 publications in research journals, and has given 30 presentations or poster talks at universities and conferences.

Directions:

The workshop is located at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, 244 Wood Street, Lexington, MA 0242. Driving directions to Lincoln Laboratory from interstate I-95/Route128: From Exit 31B, Take Exit 31B onto Routes 4/225 towards Bedford - Stay in right lane Use Right Turning Lane (0.3 mile from exit) to access Hartwell Ave. at 1st Traffic Light. Follow Hartwell Ave. to Wood St. (~1.3 miles).Turn Left on to Wood Street and Drive for 0.3 of a mile.Turn Right into MIT Lincoln Lab, at the Wood Street Gate. From Exit 30B  Take Exit 30B on to Route 2A - Stay in right laneTurn Right on to Mass. Ave (~ 0.4 miles - opposite Minuteman Tech.).  Follow Mass. Ave for ~ 0.4 miles. Turn Left on to Wood Street and Drive for 1.0 mile. Turn Left into MIT Lincoln Lab, at the Wood Street Gate.Office secretarial help for handling registrations.  This is only $5.00 per night, roughly what you would pay for your night’s coffee and cookie if you got it from one of today’s upscale branded coffee emporiums.   For more information on the technical content of the Photonics Crystal Workshop: please contact Matthew Emsley, Chair, Central New England LEOS Chapter at memsley@ieee.org, or contact William H. Nelson, Chair, Technical Program Committee, Photonic Crystals Workshop, at w.nelson@ieee.org, or visit the IEEE website at http://www.ieeeboston.org

Decision (Run/Cancel) Date for  this Courses is Monday, March 20, 2005

Course Fee Schedule:

On-line Registration and Payment

Online registration is closed for this course . If you have questions please call Linda at (781) 245-5405.

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Updated Thursday June 28, 2007