A direct analysis of photonic nanostructures

We present a method for directly analyzing photonic nanodevices and apply it to photonic crystal cavities. Two-dimensional photonic crystals are scanned and reproduced in computer memory for Finite Difference Time Domain simuations. The results closely match experimental observations, with a fidelity far beyond that for idealized structures. This analysis allows close examination of error mechanisms and analytical error models. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.