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 to intense investigations during 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. Examples are the measurement of superluminal group velocity at mid-gap frequencies, and the measurement of low group velocities near the band edge of a semiconductor heterostructure. These effects originate with the remarkable but peculiar dispersive properties of finite multilayer stacks in both linear and nonlinear regimes. The dispersion relation in a finite 1-d PBG, structure is given. Understanding the properties of linear pulse propagation in PBG structures of finite length has lead to important developments and understanding of the physics of the band edge.