Characterization of two-dimensional AlGaAs photonic crystals with waveguides as a test device

Summary form only given. A two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystal is expected as one feasible candidate for future compact devices such as remarkably miniaturized planar photonic-circuits with active and passive components integrated. We report on characterization as a test device, of a 2D semiconductor (AlGaAs) photonic crystal equipped with two waveguides of narrow-width for coupling to input and output signals. We fabricated a series of periodic air-rods structures by perforating holes in an epitaxially-grown Al/sub 0.1/Ga/sub 0.9/As core layer (0.5 /spl mu/m-thick) and a 2.0 /spl mu/m-thick Al/sub 0.35/Ga/sub 0.65/As cladding layer on a GaAs substrate.