Planar photonic crystal microspectrometers in silicon-nitride for the visible range

We demonstrate the feasibility of forming a compact integrated photonic spectrometer for operation in the visible wavelength range using the dispersive properties of a planar photonic crystal structure fabricated in silicon nitride. High wavelength resolution and compact device sizes in these spectrometers are enabled by combining superprism effect, negative diffraction effect, and negative refraction effect in a 45 degrees rotated square lattice photonic crystal. Our experimental demonstration shows 1.2 nm wavelength resolution in a 70 mu m by 130 mu m photonic crystal structure with better performance than alternative structures for on-chip spectroscopy, confirming the unique capability of the proposed approach to realize compact integrated spectrometers. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America