Design considerations for narrow-band dielectric resonant grating reflection filters of finite length

An interference-waveguide approach is developed to predict the response of a resonant grating reflection filter and to provide a better understanding of the resonant process. An expression for the reflected field that accounts for all internal boundary reflections within the filter is developed. Under the assumption of an anti-reflective design, expressions characterizing the line shape of a filter of infinite length are first developed; then the effects of finite length on the response are determined. Expressions relating the length of the filter to the peak reflection efficiency and line width are developed. The degradation of the response as a function of filter length is evaluated. An equivalent waveguide representation is used to determine the location of the resonance as well as the spectral and angular linewidths of the filter. The minimum obtainable spectral linewidth for a filter of given length is determined to be on the order of Delta lambda similar to lambda(2)/L. Rigorous analysis is used to verify the interference-waveguide approach. (C) 2000 Optical Society of America [S0740-3232(00)01507-6] OCIS code: 050.1950.