Experimental demonstration of slow self-collimated beams through a coupled zigzag-box resonator in a two-dimensional photonic crystal

We report on the experimental realization of slow self-collimated beams by using a 10-coupled zigzag-box resonator in a two-dimensional photonic crystal. The speeds of the beams are reduced to less than 0.023c at resonant frequencies where the transmission exhibit peak values. The dispersion relation and the group velocities of the beams in the coupled resonator are well described by the tight-binding model. Time-domain simulations of self-collimated pulses passing though the coupled resonator are also performed to demonstrate the slowing down the speed of the pulses. Our result could be useful in implementing devices to control self-collimated beams in time domain. (C) 2013 Optical Society of America