Dispersion engineering with inverse design (Conference Presentation)

Slow light photonic crystal waveguides (PCW) are a promising tool for optical signal processing and integrated optical devices that require strong light-matter interactions. However, PCWs typically have a large group velocity dispersion (GVD) and low coupling efficiency. In this work, we use inverse design methods to design slow light PWCs with a large group index-bandwidth product (GBP) along with efficient mode converters to couple PCW modes to ridge waveguides and free space. Inverse design is shown to be an effective method for these problems and an essential design method for future PCW applications.