Extraction of optical Bloch modes in a photonic-crystal waveguide

We perform phase-sensitive near-field scanning optical microscopy on photonic-crystal waveguides. The observed intricate field patterns are analyzed by spatial Fourier transformations, revealing several guided transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) like modes. Using the reconstruction algorithm proposed by Ha et al. [Opt. Lett. 34, 3776 (2009)1, we decompose the measured two-dimensional field pattern in a superposition of propagating Bloch modes. This opens new possibilities to study specific modes in near-field measurements. We apply the method to study the transverse behavior of a guided TE-like mode, where the mode extends deeper in the surrounding photonic crystal when the band edge is approached. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3682105]