Optical and confinement properties of two-dimensional photonic crystals

We describe experiments on a quasi-two-dimensional (2-D) optical system con sisting of a triangular array of air cylinders etched through a laser-like Ga(Al)As waveguiding heterostructure. Such a configuration is shown to yiel d results very well approximated by the infinite 2-D photonic crystal (PC), We first present a set of measurements of the optical properties (transmis sion, reflection, and diffraction) of slabs of these photonic crystals, inc luding the case of in-plane Fabry-Perot cavities formed between two such cr ystals, The measurement method makes use of the guided photoluminescence of embedded quantum wells or InAs quantum dots to generate an internal probe beam. Out-of-plane scattering losses are evaluated by various means, In a s econd part, in-plane micrometer-sized photonic boxes bounded by circular tr enches or by two-dimensional photonic crystal are probed by exciting sponta neous emission inside them, The high quality factors observed in such photo n boxes demonstrate the excellent photon confinement attainable in these sy stems and allow to access the detail of the modal structure. Last, some per spectives for applications are offered.