Experimental demonstration of photonic crystal based waveguides

We report the experimental demonstration of waveguides built around layer-b y-layer photonic crystals. An air gap introduced between two photonic cryst al walls was used as the waveguide. We observed full (100%) transmission of the electromagnetic (EM) waves through these planar waveguide structures w ithin the frequency range of the photonic band gap. The dispersion relation s obtained from the experiment were in good agreement with the predictions of our waveguide model. We also observed 35% transmission for the EM waves traveling through a sharp bend in an L-shaped waveguide carved inside the p hotonic crystal. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)019 04-X].