Local investigation of photonic crystal devices in space and time

In this paper, the investigation of light propagating inside such a structure is usually limited by both the diffraction limit and the absence of radiating light. We have solved this by investigating a photonic crystal waveguide with a phase-sensitive time-resolved near-field scanning microscope. Photonic crystals are promising structures for controlling light, because the light has to obey Bloch's theorem. The resulting control over optical dispersion allows time control in integrated optical structures and enhancement of light-matter interactions