Y junctions in photonic crystal channel waveguides: high transmission and impedance matching

We investigate the efficiency of transmission through photonic crystal Y junctions and show the importance of matching mode symmetries. Furthermore, we show that by adding tuning holes to the input waveguide it is possible to achieve almost perfect impedance matching, leading ideally to unitary transmission through the junction. The model system is based on a triangular photonic lattice of holes in dielectrics to reflect experimental reality. (C) 2002 Optical Society of America.