Two-dimensional photonic bandgap optical limiter in the visible

Summary form only given.We report the observation of optical limiting in a two-dimensional photonic bandgap material with embedded nonlinearity. Structures that possess a periodically modulated index of refraction with a pitch comparable to the wavelength of light are called photonic bandgap materials. Light waves interact within these in a manner analogous to that of electrons within semiconductor crystals. Recently, two-dimensional photonic bandgap behavior, consistent with theory, was demonstrated in the visible using nanochannel glass (NCG) technology. In the present study, an effective limiter for the visible is realized by incorporating a thermal nonlinear liquid, consisting of an absorbing dissolved nigrosin dye.