Tunneling of chirped pulses through finite photonic band structure: Analytical model and experimental verification

Summary form only given.The new possibilities offered by the linear and nonlinear optics of periodic media, beyond those of homogenous media, have been the subject of intense investigations over the past two decades. These periodic structures are usually referred to as photonic band gap (PBG) crystals. Experimental studies have highlighted particularly interesting linear properties of pulses propagating in structures of finite length. We show the experimental and theoretical results of the transit times for a chirped pulse 1.1 ns in duration propagating through a finite slab of GaAs 450 /spl mu/m long. The magnitude of the chirp is of the order of the transform limit of the optical pulse. The term "transit time" refers to the time it takes the peak of the pulse to propagate the length of the sample.