title: Fast thermo-optical excitability in a two-dimensional photonic crystal.
abstract: We experimentally demonstrate excitability in a semiconductor two-dimensional photonic crystal. Excitability is a nonlinear dynamical mechanism underlying pulselike responses to small perturbations in systems possessing one stable state. We show that a band-edge photonic crystal resonator exhibits class II excitability, resulting from the nonlinear coupling between the high-Q optical mode, the charge-carrier density, and the fast (sub-micros) thermal dynamics. In this context, the critical slowing down of the electro-optical dynamics close to the excitable threshold can delay the optical response by an amount comparable to the duration of the output pulse (5 ns). The latter results from a short thermal dynamical excursion along a high local intensity manifold of the phase space.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Photonique et de Nanostructures (CNRS UPR 20), Route de Nozay, 91460 Marcoussis, France. Alejandro.Giacomotti@lpn.cnrs.fr
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Yacomotti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Monnier
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Raineri
authors.forename: B Ben
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Bakir
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seassal
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raj
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Levenson
mesh_terms: D001152:Arsenicals / Q000737:chemistry; D003460:Crystallization; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D007204:Indium / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D010720:Phosphines / Q000737:chemistry; D017785:Photons; D012666:Semiconductors; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D001152:Arsenicals; D010720:Phosphines; D007204:Indium; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D006108:Graphite; C090882:indium phosphide