"Investigation of the dispersive properties of photonic crystals using high-power microwaves

Summary form only given, as follows. Photonic crystals (PCs) are three-dimensional, metallic or dielectric periodic structures that exhibit pass and stop bands in their frequency response. They are potentially useful components for a wide variety of applications. We present the characterization of the dispersive properties of PCs using high-power microwaves (HPMs). The advantage of high power characterization is the ability to measure decaying waves in the attenuating stop bands of the PCs. It is anticipated that the HPM characterization will provide higher signal-to-noise ratio than conventional low-power characterization schemes. A Sinus-6 driven backward-wave oscillator (BWO) is used to generate a 10 nsec microwave pulse at 9.65 GHz. Two dielectric PCs were fabricated for these experiments. The first crystal had a stop band centered about the excitation frequency of the BWO. The second crystal had a pass band at the source frequency. Using the two crystals, the temporal evolution of the dispersive properties of the PC is investigated leading to advanced concepts in the design of PCs for use in pulsed applications.