Low-group-velocity and low-dispersion slow light in photonic crystal waveguides

Photonic crystal slab line defect waveguides with slightly small innermost holes are theoretically expected to show light transmission with low-group-velocity and low-dispersion (LVLD) characteristics owing to a linear and almost flat photonic band. In this study, the LVLD characteristics of such waveguides were experimentally confirmed by using modulation phase shift measurement and transmission of ultrashort optical pulses. These results will be applicable to buffering and nonlinearity enhancement of optical signals. (C) 2007 Optical Society of America