Silicon photonic band-gap structures controlling light pulses and beams

The possibility of fabricating photonic band-gap (PBG) structures with the use of silicon technologies is discussed. A numerical approach based on the finite-difference time-domain technique is employed to investigate the propagation of a light beam through a two-dimensional silicon PEG structure with periodically arranged air cylinders. Numerical simulations demonstrate that a defect in such a structure provides unique opportunities in light-beam control. In particular, a subdiffraction-limited light beam can propagate in such a PEG structure with a defect in a waveguiding mode, offering the way to solve challenging problems of nonlinear-optical interactions, ultrahigh spatial resolution, and optical data storage. Applications of silicon PEG structures for controlling light pulses and light beams are considered.