Optimal design for one-dimensional photonic crystal waveguide

This paper proposes a logical method to design and optimize one-dimensional photonic crystal waveguides (PCWs). The logic is deduced from practical issues such as the fabrication of the waveguide structures and the subsequent optical coupling to other conventional waveguides. It is found that the individual layer thickness of an optimally designed PCW is exactly one quarter of the projection of the effective wavelength in the direction perpendicular to the layer plane. The paper also describes a handy way of finding the thickness of the central guiding layer of a symmetric waveguide. In order to demonstrate that the proposed logic and schemes are indeed functional, detailed numerical calculations are provided for a model PCW structure composed of a GaAs-AlAs-oxide system and an air-guiding layer.