Broadband single-mode waveguiding in two- and three-dimensional hybrid photonic crystals based on silicon inverse opals

Hybrid 2D-3D heterostructures are a very promising way for waveguiding light in 3D photonic structures. Single-mode waveguiding of light has been demonstrated in heterostructures where a 2D photonic crystal consisting of a triangular lattice of silicon rods in air was intercalated between two silicon inverse opals. In this paper, we show that by using a graphite lattice of rods instead of a triangular one, it is possible to enlarge the maximal single-mode waveguiding bandwidth by more than 70%, i.e. up to 129 nm centered on 1.55 mu m. The sensibility to the 2D layer structure parameters is lower, offering enhanced experimental flexibility in the design of the structure. (c) 2007 Optical Society of America.