Deterministic integrated tuning of multicavity resonances and phase for slow-light in coupled photonic crystal cavities

We present the integrated chip-scale tuning of multiple photonic crystal cavities. The optimized implementation allows effective and precise tuning of multiple cavity resonances (up to similar to 1.60 nm/mW) and intercavity phase (similar to 0.038 pi/mW) by direct local temperature tuning on suspended silicon nanomembranes. Through designing the serpentine metal electrodes and careful electron-beam alignment to avoid cavity mode overlap, the coupled photonic crystal L3 cavities preserve their high quality factors. The deterministic resonance and phase control enables switching between the all-optical analog of electromagnetically-induced-transparency to flat-top filter lineshapes, with future applications of trapping photons and optoelectronic modulators. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3571283]