Photonic-crystal-based beam splitters

We proposed and demonstrated two different methods to split electromagnetic waves in three-dimensional photonic crystals. By measuring transmission sp ectra, it was shown that the guided mode in a coupled-cavity waveguide can be splitted into the coupled-cavity or planar waveguide channels without ra diation losses. The flow of electromagnetic waves through output waveguide ports can also be controlled by introducing extra defects into the crystals . Our results may have an important role in the design of efficient power s plitters in a photonic circuit. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0 003-6951(00)02351-2].